O2B Kids Opens New Location Off WC Blvd. 

Congratulations to co-founder/CEO Andy Sherrard and location director Rashonda Powe on the opening of the 50th location of O2B Kids, the preschool/ daycare that opened earlier this month, and held a ribbon cutting on Jan. 10, at 2400 Ashley Creek Trail, which is a side street off Wesley Chapel Blvd., where it meets S.R. 56 and S.R. 54 (next to the Wawa). 

This is the 39th O2B Kids location in Florida and the second serving kids in our area, as there also is a location in Seven Oaks (at 27830 Summergate Blvd., between Sam’s Club and Bruce B. Downs Blvd.). 

The new location has room for about 170 children, from infants through pre-Kindergarten, and also offers after-school care for elementary school-aged children. 

O2B Kids locations are vibrantly colored, immaculate and offer play-based learning curriculums for preschoolers and lots of after-school activities for elementary-aged kids. 

For info, call (813) 499-1150 for the new O2B or (813) 994-2700 for the Seven Oaks location. Or, visit O2BKids.com.

Business Briefs — Starbucks, Avis, King Of The Coop, Paradise Grills & More 

Research by Joel Provenzano 

With so many bigger construction projects still on the horizon, here’s the latest on a number of new businesses now open or getting ready to open in the Wesley Chapel area: 

Starbucks & Avis 

These new buildings — Avis Car Rental (635 sq. ft.) and Starbucks (2,568 sq. ft; photo, above) — are located a few lots from each other, set in from Wesley Chapel Blvd./S.R. 54 (immediately adjacent to the southbound I-75 off ramp) at The Grove. Avis, which currently is only a wood frame, is located between the Cracker Barrel and the strip plaza that includes Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. (BWB); Starbucks is next to the Marathon gas station. 

Construction of the Avis has been moving quickly, as it was just permitted in October, and is expected to be done this spring. Avis has more than a dozen locations across Tampa Bay, but currently the closest one to us is on N. Florida Ave., south of E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa. 

We first told you about this Starbucks in May of 2022 and many locals have wondered when the project will be done. The plans were initially filed in 2022, but then withdrawn and resubmitted in the summer of 2023, hence the reason for the delay. 

This large Starbucks will be unique and offer something not seen at any of the other stores in our area — double menu board ordering lanes (something you might normally see at a newer McDonald’s) and should make the drive-through more efficient. 

The final touches are being put on the building’s exterior now, as the permits for the store’s illuminated signs were just approved at the end of December. A banner with the Starbucks logo that says “Coming Soon” is hanging on the front railing as a placeholder and a Starbucks spokesperson says the new location should be open by sometime in February. 

Flying The Coop 

In a Facebook post shortly before we went to press with this issue, the owners of King of the Coop, the Nashville hot chicken place that started in Seminole Heights, had closed its location at 27835 Wesley Chapel Blvd. (next to BWB) in front of The Grove as of Jan. 1. 

King of the Coop also relocated its original Florida Ave. location to just south of the Front Porch restaurant on Florida Ave. in Seminole Heights, but that location also has closed. 

The Facebook post blamed the closing of the Wesley Chapel restaurant on economic conditions across the Tampa Bay area that has indeed caused many businesses to be shuttered, but both several other new local fried chicken competition (Chick’n Fun, Slim Chickens, The Chicken Boss, etc.) and a difficult-to-read sign (at least from the road) may have contributed to its closing, too. 

Spot X Hotel Renovations 

The small (78-room) hotel that has had several other names at 5703 Oakley Blvd. is now the second privately-owned location of Spot X Hotel (the other is in Orlando). 

Officially known as “Spot X Hotel Tampa Bay by the Red (Roof Inn) Collection,” the hotel is open and is expected to undergo a $1.2-million renovation that was originally supposed to begin in December but is now scheduled to start sometime next month. 

For more information, call (813) 973- 1665 or visit RedRoof.com. 

Paradise Grills Is Open; AutoNation May Be, Too 

Here are updates on two new businesses we have been telling you about for a while in these pages: 

The new Paradise Grills (photo, left) opened at 2705 Creek Grass Way (on the south side of S.R. 56 east of Rock & Brews) on Dec. 21 and it is an awesome showroom that anyone who owns a house with a back yard should definitely check out. 

Paradise Grills specializes in not just grills, but full-on outdoor kitchens that will be delivered and installed for one price. If you want a built-in bar, large-screen TVs, a fire pit, tiki hut and/or unique patio furniture, Paradise Grills — which has 45 showrooms in six U.S. states (including 29 in Florida) — is your one-stop shop. 

For more info, call (813) 328-2545 or visit ParadiseGrillsDirect.com. 

Meanwhile, the AutoNation USA used car lot located at 2807 Creek Grass Way (just south of Cigars International, next to the Tampa Premium Outlets), wasn’t quite open at our press time, but appeared to be very close to opening, so it actually may be open by the time you receive this issue. 

The huge lot already had a large collection of vehicles ready to be sold as we went to press and the big service department was buzzing with activity in anticipation of the opening. 

For more info, call (813) 776-2811 or visit AutoNationUSA.com.

Gary’s 2023 Favorite Mexican Restaurants In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

Every restaurant on this list has at least one Mexican dish I like, but the 2023 opening of Azteca D’Oro and its more authentic menu (with items like the chicken taquitos shown here), plus great “vibe” nudged it past Cantina, which has equally great fajitas, and Señor Tequila, which revamped its menu in 2023. 

1. Azteca D’Oro

2. Cantina Real Mexican 

3. Señor Tequila  

4. Vallarta’s Mexican Restaurant 

5. Tacos El Patron

Gary’s 2023 Favorite Bars & Taverns In New Tampa & Wesley Chapel 

No one has ever doubted that Jannah and I love to sit at the bar and enjoy a great cocktail with our meal and there are several other favorite places that didn’t make this list, including Miller’s Ale House, Carrabba’s, Bonefish, Grillsmith and Outback, but Grill at Morris Bridge gets this year’s nod for its consistency. 

1. Grill at Morris Bridge 

2. TrebleMakers 

3. Stonewood Grill & Tavern 

4. Fat Rabbit Pub 

5. Cooper’s Hawk 

6. Joe Whiskey’s

7. Via Italia 

8. The Living Room 

9. Bubba’s 33 

10. (tie) Brass Tap & Noble Crust 

Bubba’s 33 — Wesley Chapel’s Scratch Kitchen Celebrates Four Years! 

The new BBQ chicken pizza (above), the bacon cheeseburger (below left), the Super Stromboli (Below) and the Signature ribeye steak (below, Middle) at Bubba’s 33, located off S.R. 56 near I-75. 

Unlike most other local restaurants, Bubba’s 33’s menu has changed very little since it first opened on the south side of S.R. 56 (just east of I-75) in Wesley Chapel four years ago. 

“That’s an indication that our customers enjoy our food,” says managing partner (since July 2021) Joe Vergona. “And we take a lot of pride in it. Almost everything we make is from scratch.” 

Vergona says that although Bubba’s 33’s fries and pickles aren’t made from scratch, “pretty much all of our sauces are. We even make our own spice mixes.” 

Bubba’s 33, the sports bar chain created in 2013 by Texas Roadhouse founder Kent Taylor, today has 45 locations in 15 U.S. states, with Texas having 19 of those. The Wesley Chapel Bubba’s 33 was the chain’s first link in Florida. 


Try the California chicken entrée. 

Jannah and I have been Bubba’s 33 fans since the beginning, and many members of our family have their own favorites. I love both the grilled and the espresso-marinated Signature, Texas Roadhouse-quality ribeye steaks; Jannah’s favorites are the classic cheeseburger with crispy bacon (and the tasty sweet potato fries) and the California chicken (grilled chicken breast topped with avocado, pico de gallo, jack cheese and scratch-made honey lime sauce); Jannah’s daughter Lauren is partial to the creamy chipotle pasta (with shrimp and grilled chicken, roasted peppers, onions and mushrooms tossed in spicy chipotle cream sauce and topped with cilantro and parmesan); and our granddaughter Rosie is crazy for the chicken & bacon mac n’ cheese. I’m also a fan of the fried chicken dinner (although I get the scratch-made cream gravy on the side) and I recently also enjoyed the Super Stromboli (homemade pizza dough stuffed with pepperoni, Genoa salami, sweet Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, mozzarella, provolone and pizza sauce). 

Meanwhile, photographer Charmaine George sings the praises of the shotgun shrimp appetizer (“It’s just spicy enough and delicious,” she says), the new BBQ chicken pizza (with pepper jack cheese added to the usual Bubba’s 33 blend of cheeses, plus red onions, banana peppers and scratch-made honey chipotle BBQ sauce) and especially, the “Big Ol’”onion rings. 

“We think our onion rings are the best in Wesley Chapel,” Vergona says, and it’s hard to argue with him. “The crunchiness and the flavor of the batter are definitely different,” Charmaine adds. 

And, while Bubba’s 33’s hand-made pizzas can’t be called “New York style” (which is, of course, my favorite), they are super-tasty, have a crispy crust and are made with outstanding ingredients. My favorites are the meaty-meaty and the Dickie V (with Italian sausage, cherry peppers, fresh basil, grated parmesan and a zesty garlic buttered crust). 

The desserts can’t be called anything but decadent. Both the chocolate chip cookie sundae and OreoÂź brownie are served with vanilla ice cream and the Bubba’s cheesecake is NY-style and offered with your choice of strawberry glaze, fudge, caramel and pecan toppings. 

About The Place 

Bubba’s 33 features high-definition TVs all around, and has an excellent drink menu with a full premium-liquor bar and imported, domestic and craft beer options at great prices, so it’s the perfect place for watching football and hockey games and we also appreciate the nonstop rock videos. 

The delicious “Big Ol’” onion rings at Bubba’s 33.

Specials include Monday Madness, when any burger on the menu is just $10.99. Mondays also are “Ditch the Digital” nights, where you get a free dessert or appetizer for keeping your phone in a sealed pizza box and playing board games throughout your meal. 

“We have lots of regulars coming in for Ditch the Digital,” Vergona says. “It’s fun!” 

Speaking of free appetizers, you also can get one (up to $8.99) with the purchase of any entrĂ©e with the ad on pg. 45 of this issue. See the ad for details and restrictions. 

Tuesday is Pizza Night, when any 12” (small) pizza is just $12.99. Tuesday also is free Music Bingo night (7 p.m.-9 p.m.). On most Wednesdays, Magic Mike (a magician, not a male dancer) performs and one kid 12 & under eats free with each paid adult meal. 

Vergona says a four-year anniversary celebration is in the works for later this month. Call or visit Bubba’s 33 for details. 

Bubba’s 33 (26340 Silver Maple Pkwy.) is open every day, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. For more info, call (813) 522-5090, visit Bubbas33.com.