That’s how Wesley Chapel’s Jon Kramer described the KRATE at the Grove’s Grand Opening on June 4, while sitting in the shade holding a beer as his wife Faith sipped on a sangria. Their dogs, Marley, a 5-year-old Golden Doodle, and Maverick, a 6-year-old Labradoodle, also enjoyed the shade.
Developer Mark Gold promised KRATE would be cool. And on June 4, that’s what he delivered.Thousands — maybe 8,000 or so, according to one estimate, but no matter your guess, the number was many more than expected — swept up and down the rows of converted shipping containers. Some sat and listened to music, children got their faces painted and frolicked on the playground, and slowly but surely the large crowd completely drained many of the 18 open restaurants of their tasty contents. leaving the owners and their employees with no time to catch their breath.
Miguel Calvo, who owns Chamo Bites, lives five minutes from the KRATE at the Grove, and had to run home four times to get more food to restock his container. At the end of the day, he was moved, maybe even a little shaken, by the outpouring of support. He called it “life-changing” and showed off an arm full of goosebumps.
It was the kind of festive event that Chappies have been yearning for.
“This is the best thing to ever happen to this place,” said Jon, who has lived just a few footsteps away from The Grove for 22 years. He has watched what was once nothing but a strip mall sprout from the ground, then wither and nearly die, until Gold showed up and promised to save it.
When Gold and Co. crossed the finish line at the Grand Opening, Jon and Faith were there to celebrate with them.Twice, in fact. The Kramers came in the morning, and then returned again in the evening.
And, get this — in between, they drove to downtown Tampa to have a drink at Sparkman Wharf, the trendy, smaller container park that opened along Channelside Dr. in 2018.
And, while Wesley Chapel may still not be quite as hip as downtown Tampa, it’s clear to Jon that Sparkman Wharf is now officially Tampa Bay’s “other” container park.
“KRATE blows it away,” he says. “They have a few bars and food and nothing else. Here, there is that and local artisans and local shops. It’s just better.”
That will be music to Gold’s ears. On numerous occasions, due to the delays and hurdles, the developer has referred to the nearly three-year KRATE project as “Mission Impossible.” But, he never doubted that once it was completed, it would be a big hit.
KRATE tenants celebrate a successful night at the Friends & Family event June 1. (Photo: John C. Cotey)
The KRATE Container Park at The Grove has opened in bits and pieces over the past few months, but this Saturday, June 4, the park will finally celebrate its Grand Opening.
More than 70 percent of the 94 repurposed shipping containers will be “officially” open for business — although many have been open for months — and the celebration will be marked by live music at a new bandshell, family events and plenty of food and shopping.
The Grand Opening celebration on the 4th is scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., with nighttime entertainment from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
A Friends & Family event was held June 1, drawing a sizable crowd that included social media influencers with a total following of roughly four million.
“Opening KRATE was mission impossible,” Grove developer Mark Gold of Mishorim-Gold Properties says. “We did not expect a pandemic, supply chain shortages, and a backlog in permitting. But, we did it and everything we promised we would do has become reality. We are proud of the sense of community we have built here at the Grove at Wesley Chapel and our KRATE park and look forward to providing even more opportunities to bring together friends, families, and neighbors.”
KRATE is just one part, but perhaps the crown jewel, of The Grove’s transformation, which began when Mishorim-Gold Properties, a partnership between Gold and Mishorim Real Estate, bought the 200+ acres for $62.7 million in 2019. Gold has since poured more than $100 million into renovations, including $20 million or so for a container park he promised would be one-of-a-kind.
KRATE faced a number of obstacles to opening, primarily due to Covid-19 and permitting snags. But little by little, the containers were transformed inside and outside — thanks in large part to artist Whitney Holbourn, whose hand-painted, business-themed murals adorn the exterior of each shop — into an attractive, outdoor shopping park featuring 70% restaurants and 30% retail businesses.
Nickole Davis, who opened All Good Things Gifts in February, says she is excited to see KRATE take another step toward reality. Davis sells a variety of personalized items, like her popular Wesley Chapel-branded home decorations, and says local consumers will be pleased by the variety of different kinds of shops in the KRATE, which include a children’s boutique, a Budget Blinds showroom and a huge variety of different cuisines from around the world, including Puerto Rican, French, Hawaiian, Mediterranean, Venezuelan and Japanese influences and so many more.
“The park is still in its infancy and there’s a lot of room for growth, so I think as more people know that it’s open, it can become something special,” says Davis, who added that her business has been hitting sales goals and doing very well since opening.
She is not alone. Some of the restaurants, like the Bacon Boss HQ, TJ’s Hot Dogs and Mojo Grill Latin Fusion, have been regularly selling out and running out of inventory, a sign that the public is eager for the KRATE.
Portions of the parking area between the various KRATEs have opened, including by the Bacon Boss HQ (nearest the stage at the north end of the park) and other interior parking areas around the other KRATEs, but that parking will be closed for the Grand Opening event on June 4, due to the amount of foot traffic expected in the area.
There will be plenty of KRATE parking in the lot in front of the big box stores at The Grove, including World Market and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Gold also promises that a separate KRATE parking lot is coming to the south end of the container park (north of the Outback Steak House) that should be done “soon.”
Also Coming Soon…
In addition to KRATE, Gold continues to fill the rest of The Grove property. New businesses slated to open in the near future include: Woodie’s Wash Shack, Five Below, Bealls Outlet/Home Centric, Starbucks, a national rental car chain, a national grocery store and a miniature golf course.
“We are the ultimate shopping and entertainment destination, not just for Wesley Chapel, but for the region and around the world,” Gold says.
Which KRATEs Are Already Open & Which Ones Are Still To Come?
Please note that we will have full reviews of each of the following open & planned eateries in future issues. But, where else but the KRATE Container Park can you find all of these cuisine types?: • Tasty Ramen • El Prince Mediterranean • Shake-A-Salad • The Fryroom • La Creacion Express • Mojo Grill Latin Fusion • Provisions Coffee & Kitchen • The Bacon Boss HQ • TJ’s Hot Dogs • Tacos El Patron • Chamo Bites Venezuelan Cuisine • Subzero Nitrogen Ice Cream • Blush Wine Room • Urban Sweets • Palani’s Hawai’i Noodles • Brew Bar • Yummy Tablas • Rhythm Pon Jamaican Grill
OPEN KRATE RETAIL SHOPS: • The Rebellious Hippie • Maeberry Co. • Katie Beth’s Boutique • Pasco EDC’s Smart Start • All Good Things Gifts • We Rock Rocks • Gadgets Emergency Room • Tonella’s Flower Shop • Budget Blinds • Center Ed
RESTAURANTS STILL TO COME: • Boba Mac’s Tea & Eats • Falafel Factory • Pisco Peruvian Chinese • Ato Japanese • 365 Café • Bakery X • Bebo’s Cheesesteaks • Sugar Pop! • Flipn’ Fries • Higher Flour • Café Zorba
KRATE RETAILERS STILL TO COME: • Insane Vape & Smoke Shop • The Toy Jungle • Grove Cigars • 2 Extreme Tattoos • Valiart Jewelry Designs • Life Essentials Refillery
Owners David and Debra Curler say more and more customers are stopping by Your CBD Store of New Tampa in the Pebble Creek Collection as the reputation of CBD as a tool for helping anxiety, stress, insomnia and chronic pain grows. (Photos: Charmaine George)
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Debra and David Curler are taking turns handling customers at their Your CBD Store of New Tampa in the Pebble Creek Collection.
Debra takes the first customer, who is looking for something to handle her stress but won’t make her sleepy. Meanwhile, David helps a guy looking for Delta 8 vapes, hoping they can help him relax.
They each spend about 15 minutes with their respective customers, answering more than a handful of questions, making a few recommendations and offering a few samples to go along with their purchases.
“It’s all about customer service,” David says, proudly, before joking that sometimes he might hand out too many samples. “We want them to try it and see what works for them,” he says. “Everyone is different.”
CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of more than 100 cannabinoids that grow on cannabis, of which both hemp and marijuana are varieties. Like “weed,” CBD originates from hemp, which contains less than 0.3% of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which causes the “high,” while marijuana has much higher levels of THC.
The Curlers will tell you that not all CBD is created equal. Your CBD Store offers SunMed products that the company says are vigorously tested. SunMed grows its hemp in Oregon and Colorado, and processes it in Palmetto, FL, at a new, large plant. The company uses CO2 extraction, which doesn’t require the heat that can cause CBD to lose some of its potency.
The carcinogen-free products have the USDA Organic designation, and each label has a QR code, so users can see exactly what they are putting into their bodies.
“That’s a big deal,” says David. “This is the biggest brick-and-mortar CBD store in the country. You can order CBD (products) from Amazon, but do you know where you are getting it from? Here, you do.”
Most of the CBD products at Your CBD Store of New Tampa are offered as “full spectrum,” which are generally stronger but still contain no more than the legal limit of 0.3% THC, and “broad spectrum,” which have no THC at all. They have been touted for easing stress, anxiety and insomnia, relieving chronic joint pain (in an award-winning cream form) and even helping your fireworks-fearful dog make it through New Year’s Eve.
According to a recent New York Times story, Brightfield Group (a cannabis market research firm) conducted a survey of 5,000 people, revealing that 60 percent of CBD users have taken it for anxiety, followed by those taking it for chronic pain, insomnia and depression.
“There’s something for everyone,” Debra says. “We can help you find what you need.”
Products featuring Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, or Delta-9 THC, and Delta-8 THC remain the store’s hottest sellers. Since they first showed up in the store last year, Debra says “they fly off the shelves.”
Unlike most of the CBD products in the store, which would not affect a drug test in most customers, Delta 8 will, as it contains a higher level of THC. Delta-9 is the most well-known cannabinoid because it is the most powerful and helps with anxiety and insomnia, and Delta-8 shares some similarities although it produces a gentle, smoother “high.”
“It’s great for relaxation and to help you sleep at night, so it’s pretty awesome,” Debra says. “And it comes in edibles, gummies, water solubles, vapes…people just love it.”
A new product, called Above, blends Delta-8 with other cannabinoids, which SunMed says delivers a high that is described as “gentle body feels” as opposed to a psychoactive high.
Another new product, known as Beyond, contains 400 percent more cannabinoids, including Delta-9, than your usual full-spectrum products. It has indica (calming) and sativa (uplifting) versions. There also is a hybrid version.
The newest product, however, is Immune+, a tincture blend that contains CBGA, the “grand daddy” of cannabinoids, and CBDA. Both are acids which are converted to CBG and CBD, and Immune+ combines them with cinnamon, clove, blue gum eucalyptus, and lemon essential oils and then adds Vitamin A and D3 to give your immune system a boost.
Your CBD Store continually adds new products, like TRIM, its first foray into weight loss. TRIM features THC-V, which blocks your appetite-stimulating CB1 receptor (THC-D9, by contrast, causes appetite stimulation).
According to SunMed, in a 90-day clinical study of 120 people, participants lost up to 18 pounds, six inches around their waist and up to eight points in their respective BMIs (Body Mass Indexes).
David says he is using the product and has lost eight pounds and an inch around his waist. He says it definitely has been effective as an appetite suppressant.
“So far it’s been good,” he says. “It has made me less hungry.”
And while Your CBD Store of New Tampa has always carried products for your pets, two new treats are available — Chillin’ Out (for relaxation) and Movin’ Easy (for mobility and aches and pains for senior dogs) broad-spectrum hemp chews.
Debra says as CBD becomes more accepted and loses the stigma that comes with being associated with cannabis, more and more customers are finding their way through her front doors — including Sundays, which they added in December. Many times, new customers are shocked by the cleanliness and warmth of the boutique-style store.
“I think they expect a smoke shop, or one of those hookah lounges,” she says.
While there may still be hurdles for CBD to clear in order to gain universal acceptance, Debra says she believes in the products enough to do her part to help get CBD there.
Your CBD Store of New Tampa has a 4.9 (out of 5)-star rating on Google, where the Curlers are applauded for their knowledge, passion and sterling customer service. “It’s been a struggle to get where we are today,” Debra says, “but it’s definitely been worth it.”
Your CBD Store New Tampa is located at 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite B-1. It is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 994-0599 or visit CBDRX4U.com/find-us/florida/new-tampa.
Attorney Derek Usman, who has an office on BBD Blvd. in New Tampa, has opened a second location in downtown Tampa to be closer to the courts. (Photo courtesy of Derek Usman)
Attorney Derek Usman says a piece of advice in a self-improvement book stuck with him and has become a cornerstone of how he practices law.
“I treat each case like it’s the most important case,” he says. “I approach each of them in the same manner, whether it’s a small claims case or a filing for the Supreme Court.”
This philosophy has helped his New Tampa-based business, The Usman Law Firm, P.A. — located in the Central Bank building on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. south of County Line Rd. — to grow through referrals and word-of-mouth among clients who need legal expertise for litigation, employment law and business law.
He established his firm in the community where he lives, knowing that many residents of our area may need an employment or business law firm, and may want to work with someone who is a part of their community.
“New Tampa- and Wesley Chapel-area residents are business owners and employees, and executives of businesses,” says Usman, “sometimes they are people who work for corporations that are relocating to the Tampa Bay area. They have a local resource right here. They don’t have to go to a big downtown firm.”
But, if they do want a downtown firm, Usman has that covered, too. He recently opened a second office in downtown Tampa to have more accessibility to the courts and to court personnel.
“Lawsuits always involve two sides,” he says, “and oftentimes, the opposing counsel is downtown.”
He says maintaining a second office in the heart of where most litigation happens allows him to communicate better with opposing counsel, while keeping his New Tampa office as his primary work location.
“Attorneys are fraternal,” he says. “It makes it easier to talk with them because you have a connection and a familiarity. A personal relationship makes things smoother.”
He values those personal relationships, which is why he always gives his full attention and diligent preparation to every case that comes before him. A client he helped with one of those “small cases” came back to him when something much bigger came up. This led to Usman recently filing a federal case on behalf of a St. Petersburg-based startup company, called Priatek, alleging its former executives stole technology and forced out the company’s president.
He says he was hired to represent that firm because one of its investors appreciated the way Usman treated his earlier case.
“That was a small claims trial, with a low dollar amount, but he knew that I prepared well,” says Usman.
And, Usman adds, he had no expectation that one case would lead to a bigger one, but that he treats everyone the same, across the board. He works hard to ensure each of his clients is represented well, no matter how minor their complaint may seem.
Happy Clients…
Jerry Newberry is a client who says he experienced that quality representation first-hand. As president of a local company, he was looking for an attorney to review some corporate documents he had prepared.
After finding Usman by searching online, Newberry says he was able to get an appointment quickly, go over his questions, and that Usman got back to him with all of his questions answered in just a few days.
“I was really happy,” Newberry says. “I had a bunch of questions because I don’t understand legal mumbo jumbo, and he answered all of them. I appreciated his timeliness and his feedback was very thorough.”
Plus, Newberry says he has worked with several lawyers who run up costs very quickly, but notes that Usman’s fees were very reasonable.
“I’ve dealt with 30 to 40 attorneys over 30 years, and he was painless,” says Newberry. “He was very willing to do whatever I needed, and he explained everything in a way that I understood and felt comfortable (with). I’m definitely pleased and will certainly use him again.”
Usman says he understands that litigation can be expensive and that a lot of the expense is hard costs, such as court fees, that clients have to pay.
He emphasizes that’s why he has multiple fee arrangements to meet each client’s needs. Fees can be paid as contingent, fixed or hourly billing.
“I work with clients on payment options,” he says. “Even though litigation is a costly endeavor, I don’t want that to deter you from pursuing actions on your behalf.”
Derek says many attorneys who practice business and employment law specialize in either initial transactions or disputes. However, Derek isn’t limited to only one area or the other.
He says his clients benefit from the hands-on experience he has had in courtrooms, from county courts, to state, federal and even appellate courts. Because he sees how litigation plays out in court, he knows the pitfalls to look out for in drafting agreements and other documentation.
“I know both parts and have experience in both,” he says. “I have more practical knowledge when it comes to forming agreements because I know what usually gets litigated in court.”
After moving from Chicago to Wesley Chapel in 2015 to be closer to family, Derek opened his local office of The Usman Law Firm off of Bearss Ave. In 2018, he moved to his current office on BBD to be right in the heart of the community where he lives and serves his neighbors.
Derek earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from Indiana University in Fort Wayne in 1997 and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Northern Illinois University College of Law in 2001.
He is admitted to practice before the bars of Florida, Illinois, the U.S. Tax Court, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Derek volunteers his time as part of the network of attorneys who work on both local and national cases with Alliance Defending Freedom, a faith-based nonprofit that focuses on legal advocacy.
The Usman Law Firm is located at 20701 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. For more information, please visit UsmanFirm.com or call (813) 377-1197.
Nearly a year after it unofficially opened following major renovations, the New River Library at 34043 S.R. 54 finally got its official Grand Opening last month.
The library was closed from October 2019 through a soft opening in April 2021, receiving a major upgrade that was extended by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The New River Library was officially rededicated with a ribbon cutting and ceremonial release of butterflies on April 21, attended by Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, Pasco Libraries regional manager Angelo Liranzo, other library officials and the architects of the project.
Liranzo praised the efforts of landscape architect Celia Nichols, who transformed the outdoor space at the library.
“What we have now is completely different and totally transformed into something so wonderful,” he said. “Instead of just a community garden…we have 28 planter beds that can be reserved for a quarter at a time.
Liranzo added that all of the planter beds already have been checked out and that there is now a waiting list.
The library also has a larger and brighter lobby, two soundproof study rooms and a larger one for bigger groups, four new family bathrooms, a larger children’s area, a teen room and an upgraded scanning and printing area.
The new outdoor study area and community garden are highlights. The garden has four water barrels, a butterfly garden and sensory items for children who are on the autism spectrum.
