As we get ready for the 2024 Reader Dining Survey & Contest, the New Tampa dining scene continues to evolve, with more closings, openings and rumors than ever.
First, for the bad news: In the Palms Connection plaza on Bearss Ave. just west of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., Bearss Tavern & Tap and Mint Cocktail Club, both owned by Cody Jay, are now both permanently closed. We also heard, although have not yet been able to confirm, that the delicious Woodfired Pizza & Wine Bar in the same plaza was likely closing at the end of June. That would be a tremendous loss for the local Neapolitan-style-pizza-loving community.
As for new openings, although it isn’t a restaurant at all, Bull Liquors & Cigar recently re-opened in its new space in the Acropolis Greek Taverna-anchored Oak Ramble Plaza on BBD, south of Tampa Palms. The original Bull Liquors was located in the same plaza, in a much smaller space near Papa John’s Pizza and Jersey Mike’s Subs, but the new location — which took close to a year to get open — is in the plaza’s other end cap, where the last business in there was a check-cashing place, but which also has been home to four restaurants — the first being the Louis Pappas Market Café and the last being Takara Sushi & Sake.
The new Bull Liquors (at 14913 BBD) is a much larger, nicer location with a good selection of fine wines and spirits, as well as a walk-in cigar humidor. For more info, call (813) 513-8941.
Our next stop is the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza on BBD, just north of New Tampa/Cross Creek Blvd, where a new sign recently went up announcing that Everbowl is planning to open in the plaza’s space just north of Publix.
Everbowl, a California-based chain of healthy bowl eateries (think Grain & Berry) with about 90 locations in 24 states, has only one other Florida location, near the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, but its Everbowl.comwebsite promises a wide variety of bowls featuring Açai, granola, fresh fruit, peanut butter, chia pudding, blue majik (naturally blue-colored spirulina), Coco Love coconut water, Cacao Wow and other healthy, all-natural flavors.
I was surprised to not find a “Coming Soon” on the website for the location, but a spokesperson for the UCF Everbowl said that the franchisee for that location didn’t know about or ask for a Tampa location, “so it may be a different franchise owner.” We’ll keep you posted.
Speaking of healthier eating, two different health-conscious concepts that recently closed in the Winn-Dixie and LA Fitness-anchored The Cypress plaza tucked in off BBD at the corner of County Line Rd. are both in the process of being replaced.
The one we know for sure is happening is that Coffee Latitudes, which currently has a popular kiosk at the Shops at Wiregrass mall, is planning to open the Coffee Latitudes Coffee & Wine Bar in the former location of Juice Factory (at 6431 E. County Line Rd., Suite 110, next to Max’s Pets).
But, all we can tell you about the other vacant space, that previously was home to Island Fin Poké Co., is that the replacement could be a popular healthy eatery at the KRATE at The Grove Container Park. Again, we’ll keep you posted.
Although we understand how many local residents feel about additional apartments coming to Wesley Chapel, here is news about yet another new rental community now under construction in our area. Located on the south side of S.R. 56, just east of the entrance for the new Wesley Chapel community of Woodcreek (see map), is a 19.81-acre site, with an appraised land value of more than $11 million, that currently is being filled with dirt and graded by an army of bulldozers (photo). The site is being prepared for the Bainbridge Wesley Chapel apartment project, which will be bordered on the west side by the Wyndfields Blvd. extension that also is currently under construction.
Bainbridge — which is being developed by PCCP, LLC, and the Bainbridge Companies, LLC — will be one of the largest apartment complexes in Wesley Chapel, as it is planned to be a “Class A” community comprised of six four-story buildings (with elevators) and a total of 411 units, consisting of 145 one-bedroom units (with 820 sq. ft. of living area), 202 two-bedroom units (1,237 sq. ft. each) and 64 three-bedroom units (1,470 sq. ft.).
Unique to this particular apartment complex are the number of garages, many more than what most apartment communities offer. Bainbridge will feature both attached and detached garage spaces, 160 total, in addition to 536 regular parking spaces. Of those garage spaces, 32 actually will be tandem (2-car) garage spaces, something not normally seen even in townhome communities, much less apartments.
The project’s website states that, “The units will offer residents high-end interior finishes, including stone countertops in the kitchen areas, stainless steel appliances, in-unit washers & dryers, shaker cabinets, nine-foot ceilings, oversized walk-in-closets, smart thermostats, keyless entry and vinyl plank flooring. On-site amenities will include an expansive clubhouse with indoor/outdoor club rooms with social areas, TVs and fire pits, as well as a resort-style pool with a sun deck and grilling areas, a fitness center, on-site storage spaces and a dog park.”
According to the plans, a new right-in/ right-out driveway with a right turn lane will be provided off S.R. 56 as the community’s primary entrance. A secondary entrance to Wyndfields Blvd. also will be constructed so vehicles will have an option to exit there, directly to the future traffic signal for Wyndfields Blvd. at S.R. 56.
Bainbridge Companies has developed more than 60 apartment communities in five states, including 50 in Florida, with Bainbridge at Sunlake being the closest to us.
The current state of construction at Daybreak Market Wiregrass. (Photo by Joel Provenzano)
On the SE corner of S.R. 56 at Heuland Pond Blvd., something is coming that many of us haven’t seen in this area or may not be familiar with at all — Daybreak Market at Wiregrass which will sell “76®” branded gasoline.
Daybreak Market (see map) is a new convenience store concept where some of the things the company touts include $0.99 any-sized coffee or fountain drinks (with even lower Grand Opening prices), a beer cave called “The Ice Box” and indoor/ outdoor seating and tables for food time, plus fully digital touch screen fuel pumps.
According to the company’s social media page, Daybreak Market opened three new locations in Florida just last year and there are nine locations in Florida, including three in Port Charlotte. The closest one to our area was just opened this year at the corner of S.R. 54 at South Branch Blvd. (near the Suncoast Pkwy.) in Odessa, where oddly, the pumps and store face away from the main road.
The map shows the locations of Daybreak, FCS and 7-11 (Google map modified by NN)
The 1.73-acre corner parcel in Wesley Chapel has most of its major vertical construction already completed, as the reinforced concrete fuel pad area, canopy supports and convenience store building have all taken shape. The store will be just under 5,000 sq. ft. but there will be a lot more pumps/fueling positions than at any other gas station in our area, which according to the plans we reviewed and our visit to the site, appears to be up to 24 regular fueling positions (gas nozzles).
If that number is correct, Daybreak Market & Fuel will easily be the biggest gas station in Wesley Chapel, as even the RaceTrac down the street and Costco near the Tampa Premium Outlets each only have 18 fueling positions total, and it would be double Sam’s Club’s 12.
Originally, there was a Circle K that was going to be on the other side of Heuland Pond Blvd. (between S.R. 56 and Sand Dune Rd.) years ago, but the permits for that project expired at the end of 2017.
Instead, Daybreak Market Wiregrass will be just the second gas station in the Wiregrass Ranch development, as the 7-Eleven at the intersection of Mansfield Blvd. and Wiregrass School Rd., which opened last year, was the first.
And now, there’s a new medical office building under construction in the previously planned Circle K location by Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (labeled as FCS on map). See page 16 for that story.
This is just a small sampling of the 100% organic produce sold at the Nutrition Smart store at 1821 BBD Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. (Photos by Charmaine George)
If you think the Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart (located on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. just south of S.R. 56) is a store for vitamins and supplements, you’re not wrong.
And, if you think that’s all the popular store carries, you’re not alone.
But, if you’re one of those people who thinks Nutrition Smart is only a place where supplement fanatics stock up, you’re missing out on all that our area’s original “green grocer” has to offer.
“A lot of people come in expecting just vitamins, but they’re impressed by what they see,” says Fausto Soriano, the store’s general manger. “That’s definitely a misconception.”
Nutrition Smart offers fresh, organic produce, natural grocery items and refrigerated and frozen food, from dairy (including raw milk) and eggs to meat, bread and healthy snacks.
Fausto says that many of the store’s customers do all of their grocery shopping in the store, which also includes the largest selection of supplements in the area, plus vitamins, bulk foods, sport nutrition, health and beauty items, pet care, household products and more.
Fausto says it’s not on a huge scale like you would find at a large grocery store, but there is a little bit of everything, and Nutrition Smart offers something other stores don’t.
General manager Fausto Soriano checks out a customer at the register.
“All of our fresh produce is 100% organic,” Fausto says. While other stores stock both organic and non-organic products that are sold right next to each other, at Nutrition Smart, “Our customers don’t have to worry about buying conventional products by mistake.”
Fausto also says that at his store in particular, many people believe in an “eat first” philosophy where they make healthier food choices now instead of needing supplements later.
Customers seem to like the store’s organic, fresh chicken and grass-fed beef, and get a wide variety of unique products at Nutrition Smart that aren’t available anywhere else. For example, he says, raw milk from a Florida dairy farm is extremely popular.
“Every Tuesday, we get a fresh delivery of raw milk,” he says. “Customers line up waiting for the milk to arrive.”
The store also is able to offer mom-and-pop brands from nearby vendors, too, including locally made raw honey.
Local desserts are delivered fresh to the store from Dade City’s Hillbilly Farms Bakery. Tampa’s Sami’s Bakery delivers fresh breads, wraps, cookies and desserts every Thursday. Both bakeries offer specialty items such as low-carb and gluten- free desserts and bakery items.
Other unique products include a variety of trending supplements, such as those derived from mushrooms and shilajit, a resin from the earth that reportedly can help with hormone balance and other functions. The store also carries a large variety of CBD products.
Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart stocks a huge selection of natural vitamins, supplements, CBD and beauty products…and more! (Below) You can’t beat Nutrition Smart’s selection of local, raw honey.
Fausto adds that the Wesley Chapel location of Nutrition Smart is the number one store in the state of Florida for selling the energy drink Celsius.
“We are known in the area for having a huge Celsius selection,” he says. “We have all the new flavors first, and the biggest variety of flavors, along with one of the most aggressive prices.”
He says he and his staff, including assistant store manager Joe Geier, pay attention to trends in the industry to be sure they know what customers want. When vendors pitch new products to the store, they watch for commonalities. Many customers also read articles and often ask for certain new products or ingredients.
Joe has been with the company for six years and was previously a vitamin manager. He and Fausto, who has been with Nutrition Smart for 15 years, are among about 24 store employees in the Wesley Chapel location. Definitely not a big chain, Nutrition Smart has just two other locations — in Port St. Lucie and Pembroke Pines.
“Our vitamin staff is super knowledgeable,” says Fausto. “A lot of them have been doing this for 15 or 20 years. They focus on individualized service for each customer’s unique needs. We’re not just trying to sell a product. We want to hear what their needs are and hopefully gain their trust so they’ll come back in the future.”
It’s a service they have been providing for 15 years now, since the Wesley Chapel location of Nutrition Smart opened in 2009.
“We were the first in this area to provide these products,” Fausto says. “We’ve been here since before Wesley Chapel was a destination.”
Introducing: Divine Leaf Vegan
If you like freshly-made vegan wrap sandwiches and fresh fruit smoothies, you have to visit the Divine Leaf Vegan counter at the Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart
Another hidden gem inside the Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart is Divine Leaf Vegan, a new café serving freshly-made burgers, sandwiches, salads, cold pressed juices, smoothies and more.
“It’s been awesome to have them,” says Fausto. “There’s not a lot of vegan restaurants or options in our area, so it’s worked out well. I’m not vegan and I buy stuff from there all the time. They have a really good ranch sauce they make from scratch, and I buy a full-size bottle because my kids love it. It’s phenomenal.”
Fausto adds that the partnership is great because people who find out about Divine Leaf through its own social media often become Nutrition Smart customers as they discover the store, too.
Making Health More Affordable
Nutrition Smart offers many discounts and coupons, including a 20% -off coupon in this issue. In addition, active and veteran military members, first responders, nurses and teachers all receive 10 percent off their purchases all day, every day. On Tuesdays, seniors (ages 55 & older) also receive 10 percent off. Shoppers also can sign up for Nutrition Smart’s text club by texting “WESLEY” to (866) 603-3532 for exclusive offers.
Pam T. is a Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart shopper who recently wrote a review. “Love this little health food store,” she says. “It’s my go-to every week. With great rewards and coupons, the prices are not painful. I love that all the produce is organic. Great selection of most items I need on a week-to- week basis.”
Nutrition Smart is located at 1821 BBD Blvd. It is open Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m., and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit NutritionSmart.com, call the store at (813) 341-4444, or see the ad below for the coupon that will get you 20 percent off your purchase.
(L.-r.) Medical assistant Emily Peterson, Dr. Holly Ouillette and medical receptionist Yousra Boumansour welcome the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel communities to the new Elite Women’s Care office located just north of S.R. 56 near I-75 in Wesley Chapel. (Photos by Charmaine George)
Board-certified gynecologist Holly Ouillette, M.D., recently opened Elite Women’s Care in Wesley Chapel in the Cypress Ridge Professional Park, located east of I-75 and north of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel.
Dr. Ouillette is passionate about helping women, building relationships with her patients and providing excellent care.
She is the only provider in the Wesley Chapel office of Elite Women’s Care, which also has offices in Spring Hill and Clearwater. Dr. Lauren Juyia and a nurse practitioner see patients at those locations.
The practice is physician-owned by FastMD, a multispecialty group that also owns Florida Advanced Spine & Orthopedics. Dr. Ouillette’s husband, Dr. Ryan Ouillette, is part of that group, as is Dr. Juyia’s husband, Dr. Rushad Juyia.
In November, Dr. Ouillette was hired by FastMD to bring Elite Women’s Care to Wesley Chapel. The practice’s new office shares a building with Florida Advanced Spine & Orthopedics (photo below).
She says that being the sole provider in the office helps her build trust with her patients.
“When you come in, you will always see me,” Dr. Ouillette explains. “Never a nurse practitioner or a physician’s assistant. It’s always going to be me.”
Elite Women’s Care offers comprehensive and specialized care for women from adolescence to menopause. This includes well-woman exams, family planning (e.g., birth control counseling and intrauterine device, or IUD, placement), plus care for abnormal bleeding, painful periods, ovarian cysts, fibroids, breast concerns and follow-ups for abnormal pap smears.
Dr. Ouillette also treats women experiencing pelvic pain, endometriosis and polyps. She offers menopausal and perimenopausal care, including hormone replacement therapy, non-hormonal therapy and treating urinary incontinence.
When surgery may be required, she offers minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
Dr. Ouillette is trained in and has previously practiced obstetrics (OB), but her Elite Women’s Care office doesn’t offer obstetrics.
“We see people who are trying to get pregnant and, once you’re six weeks postpartum, you can come right back to seeing us,” Dr. Ouillette says. “We just don’t see you while you’re actually pregnant.”
She explains that with only two doctors in a group covering three geographic areas, it’s not feasible for Elite to provide OB care. Patients who are pregnant are referred to an OB practice during pregnancy.
“The benefits to the patient of going to an office that’s just gynecology is that we won’t have to leave (a GYN appointment) to go do a delivery,” says Dr. Ouillette. “Patients are being seen on time and not having to wait while the doctor is delivering a baby. We also don’t have to hold spots open for OB patients, so it’s easier to get in here.”
She also says that patients currently can get in to see her in the Wesley Chapel office for same-day appointments for acute issues.
About Dr. Ouillette
Dr. Ouillette was introduced to the medical field at a young age because her mom was a nurse.
“I always knew I wanted to be a doctor,” she says. “And, when I did the OB/GYN rotation in medical school, I liked it.”
She says gynecologists develop a special relationship with their patients.
“When someone comes in with a gynecology issue, it’s not something that’s easy to talk about,” she says. “I like making patients feel comfortable.”
While she’s new to the Wesley Chapel area, Dr. Ouillette grew up nearby in Oldsmar. When she was attending East Lake High, her family moved to Michigan, and she ended up staying there for college.
Dr. Ouillette first earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan in Dearborn, followed by earning her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit in 2012. She then completed residency training at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, where she was named Outstanding Resident Surgeon by the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. After residency, she received additional training in minimally invasive surgery at The Women’s Hospital of Texas Pelvic Restorative Center, also in Houston.
Dr. Ouillette and her husband then moved back to Detroit, where she spent the last several years teaching residents and taking care of an underserved patient population at Ascension St. John Hospital.
“I always wanted a big family,” she says, and to that end, she and her husband now have four children — ages six, five, three, and one-and-a-half.
The family moved to Land O’Lakes from Detroit for the career opportunities afforded to both doctors. They didn’t anticipate working for the same group, but the more Dr. Ouillette looked at work options, the more appealing working for FastMD seemed.
“With four kids ages six and under, I was trying to find a little slower pace,” she explains. “I would love to still be doing everything I was doing in Michigan — OB, GYN, teaching and academics — but it seemed like it would be too much right now.”
Patient Beverly Stiles says Dr. Ouillette’s extensive experience is apparent. Although she was a patient of Dr. Juyia’s in Brooksville, when Beverly couldn’t be seen in a timely manner, the staff suggested she go see Dr. Ouillette in Wesley Chapel.
“I instantly fell in love with her,” Beverly says. “She’s very professional and her staff is so nice.”
Beverly explains that she had a complicated issue, but Dr. Ouillette researched it both before she saw her, and then again, after that appointment. Beverly says she felt comfortable voicing her concerns and having extensive conversations about treatment options, including changing her mind about surgery when her symptoms changed.
“I could talk with her,” Beverly says of Dr. Ouillette. “She’s very one-on-one. She has tremendous training, expertise and professionalism, and she’s also easy to talk with. That’s what you want in a physician.”
She also describes the Wesley Chapel office as “sparkling clean,” and that the staff’s communication has been excellent and that it’s been easy to get an appointment.
“If you’re looking for a gynecologist, she’s the one you want to see,” Beverly says.
Dr. Ouillette says she strives to build strong relationships — like the one she has with Beverly — with all of her patients.
“The biggest thing is personalized care,” she says. “You’ll see the same faces every time you come in. You’ll see the same medical assistant (Emily Peterson), who knows all of the patients by name. We strive to know our patients well, so that when you call and ask a question, we know who you are. We take the time to listen to all of our patients’ concerns.”
Elite Women’s Care is located at 2309 Crestover Ln. For more information or to make an appointment, call (352) 345-4456 or visit Elite-WC.com.
