The Secret Lounge Is Open In Freedom Plaza!

Located at 30120 S.R. 54 in the Freedom Plaza, between Bosco’s and the Smoke Shop, is The Secret Lounge, which is owned by Ahmed, who also owns the Smoke Shop. Former Bosco’s pizza guy Johnny (left) is among those serving up Halal hamburgers, cheeseburgers and hot dogs at The Secret Lounge, as well as French fries, onion rings, empanadas and tasty San Bernardo ice cream, all at great prices! For more info, call (813) 803-3463. — GN 

BawarcHi Biryani Indian Cuisine Opens In Former Taco Son Location!

Two new restaurants have recently opened in the Freedom Plaza. In the former location of Taco Son, at 30056 S.R. 54, is BawarcHi Biryani Indian Cuisine. Naresh, one of the partners in the Wesley Chapel location, says that BawarcHi is a chain with more than 60 locations, including Brandon, Orlando, Miami and Sanford, FL. 

Photographer Charmaine George and I were impressed with the attractive décor and especially, the truly excellent Southern Indian (and Indo-Chinese) cuisine we sampled on our first visit, including the Karivepaku veggie dumplings in a delicate sauce flavored with curry leaves (left), plus traditional favorites like butter naan bread, butter chicken and my favorite, the noodles with chicken and chicken biryani. The prices are very fair and the food is excellent. For more info, call (813) 991-9099 or visit BawarchiWesleyChapel.com. 

Lexington Oaks Crossings & Patel Brothers To Start Development On WC Blvd. 

Even though I haven’t yet received an update on what is coming to The Hub at Lexington retail/restaurant development — which is coming along nicely, by the way — in front of the Sentosa Lexington Oaks apartments on Wesley Chapel Blvd., I was able to speak with the property owners/developers of two adjacent parcels to the south/west of The Hub. 

The sign closest to The Hub (top photo) proclaims that Patel Brothers Indian Grocery Store — the largest such chain in the U.S., with more than 50 stores in 20 U.S. states, including four in Florida (with a location at 1251 E. Fowler Ave. in Tampa being the closest to us) — is coming. 

The sign also says that the Patel Brothers chain — which was founded in Chicago in 1974 — is celebrating its 50th anniversary of providing authentic Indian produce, spices, beverages, snacks and South Asian sweets, as well as prepared Indian foods for the nearly 5 million Asian-Indian diaspora living in our country (nearly a quarter of a million of which live in the Sunshine State). 

I was told by a spokesperson for Patel Brothers that the store should be breaking ground “probably by the end of this year,” but wouldn’t elaborate further about the new location’s size or when it is expected to open. 

Lexington Oaks Crossings 

I was able to get some additional information about the sign a little further to the south/ west on Wesley Chapel Blvd. (above) from David Nekouee, the CEO of Capital Design & Engineering, which is actually planning two similarly-sized retail strip centers next to Patel Brothers. 

The first 15,000-sq.-ft. center, which Nekouee says could break ground as early as the week this issue arrives in your mailbox, is almost fully leased but may have at least one of the six spaces shown on the sign (above) still available. 

Although Nekouee didn’t officially confirm who those tenants will be, he said the right end cap of the plaza will be a “national coffee shop.” There also will be a pizza place (believed to be a Jets Pizza), a sandwich shop (shown on the sign as a Firehouse Subs), a smoothie shop (shown on the sign as a Tropical Smoothie CafĂ©), a pet hospital and a medical or dental office. 

For more information about Lexington Oaks Commons, call David Nekouee at (770) 833-4507. — GN

Dozens Win Free Little Caesars Pizza For A Year!

Photos by Charmaine George

On June 7, Little Caesars Pizza celebrated the Grand Opening of the chain’s second Wesley Chapel location (at 5482 Post Oak Blvd.,off Wesley Chapel Blvd., in the same retail strip plaza as Jimmy John’s), with a DJ, a prize wheel attendees could spin and visits from both a stilt-walker and “Little Caesar” himself.. 

To me, Little Caesars is more about convenience and competitive pricing than it is about deliciousness, but I’ll admit that I enjoyed the new (at least to me) pepperoni “Crazy Puffs¼” and the chewy Cookie Dough Brownies made with M&MsÂź minis. 

But, the fact that there were nearly 70 people waiting on line (below right photo) before the shop opened that day to win free Little Caesars for a year does indicate to me that people do enjoy the chain’s specialty pizzas like the “3 Meat Treat¼” (bottom photo) for just $12.99 (it’s also available in a larger “Detroit-style deep dish” rectangular version for just $15.99). 

The “Hot-N-Ready¼” options are even less expensive, with the “Classic Cheese” and “Classic Pepperoni” both for just $7.29 & up, the “Extramostbestest¼” cheese or pepperoni pizzas starting at just $8.29 each, and “Stuffed Crazy Crust” pizzas start at just $$13.99. There’s also pretzel crust pizzas ($6.99 & up), breadsticks, Italian cheese bread (top left photo, with pepperoni) and more. 

And, with Little Caesars’ new “The Pizza Portal,” picking up your to-go order is as easy as grabbing an Amazon package at an apartment complex. And yes, DoorDash delivery is available, too. 

For info, call (813) 923-0715 or visit LittleCaesars.com. — GN

WC Resident Portrays ‘Diddy’ In ‘Diddy On Trial’ Docuseries On Hulu 

In a surprising twist, long-time Wesley Chapel resident, family man and entertainer Layne Harper has stepped into the spotlight by portraying Sean “Diddy” Combs on Hulu’s gripping hit new docuseries, “Diddy on Trial: As It Happened.” 

Layne’s involvement in the show has garnered national attention, especially considering the sensitive and sensational nature of the content. As the trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs continues to unfold in real life, with testimony from various witnesses, including rapper Kid Cudi, Diddy’s former longtime girlfriend Cassandra Ventura and “Jane,” an alleged sex trafficking victim, the series provides an alternative medium for audiences to engage with the case through reenactments and on-screen analysis. 

Produced by ABC News Studios, “Diddy on Trial” debuted on May 25 as the third most-watched show on Hulu (as of May 28), behind “A Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” according to FlixPatrol, a site that provides Video on Demand (VOD) charts and streaming statistics worldwide, and has continued to garner high ratings through its first four episodes as we went to press with this issue. 

Hulu’s website states that the docuseries, “takes you inside the criminal trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, one of the most salacious and hotly anticipated courtroom showdowns in decades. Watch bombshell moments and heart-wrenching testimony unfold in real time through meticulous actor reenactments sourced each week from courtroom transcripts. 

“Prosecutors allege the music icon and business mogul engaged in a dark underworld of sex trafficking and prostitution. Combs denies all accusations, maintaining his innocence. Join host Sunny Hostin [Senior Legal Correspondent for ABC News] as she breaks it all down with a rotating roster of legal and pop culture experts, giving you a front-row seat to this high-stakes legal battle.” 

Since cameras are not allowed in the federal courtroom, the actor reenactments allow viewers to more accurately, and emotionally, connect with what’s actually happening in a more natural way than just reading about it in news articles. The series is a “must watch” for those who like courtroom dramas, as well as, of course, pop culture fans. 

As of this writing, here are the four episodes of “Diddy on Trial” have been released: 

#1: “The Freak-Off” 

#2: “The Assault.” 

#3 “Secret Life of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs” 

#4: The Bribe & The Balcony” 

New episodes are being released every Sunday as the trial continues. 

The Man Playing The Monster 

Testimony in the trial so far has painted Diddy as a violent and controlling man that people feared. So, how does someone like Layne Harper — who’s known locally to be a genuinely nice guy — get to portray one of the most mocked and allegedly vile men in America? 

Layne says he is actually “really excited” about this opportunity and that one of his agents in New York City helped him land the lead role. “I’ve never been told that I resemble Diddy,” Layne says. “My agent in New York submitted me for the role because he had a strong feeling I could execute on the role as Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.” 

He adds, “I’m not concerned at all because I’m playing the role of ‘Diddy.’ I’m my own person. I’m a husband and father of three and I choose to protect my peace and strongly believe in not entertaining negativity. One thing that cannot be erased from the entertainment industry is that Sean Combs will always be a music mogul.” 

He admits, however, that stepping into this unique role has been a wild ride for him. 

“Everything is happening so fast,” Layne says. “I’m flying back to New York again tomorrow night, and will be back and forth in Tampa for the next 4-6 weeks — maybe longer, depending on the trial, [since] I’m doing the entire season.” 

Assuming that Diddy is going to take the witness stand at some point, Layne says of that possibility, “I just pray. I don’t overthink it. That’s how I booked the role. I’m on the edge of my seat because no one knows if he will take the stand.” 

Layne Harper, Jr., 43, was born in Memphis, TN. Raised in a military family, he spent seven years in Darmstadt and Mannheim, Germany. After graduating from Millington (TN) Central High School in 2000, Layne moved to Brooklyn, NY, to pursue a music career. 

He later relocated to Nashville, TN, where Layne met his wife Jennifer. The couple moved to the Tampa Bay area in 2009, and has been living in Wesley Chapel since 2010 with their three children (l.-r. in top left photo on the next page) — Jaydon, Enyal and Xavier, the latter of whom is currently serving in the U.S. Navy. 

Playing Diddy is actually somewhat ironic for Layne, as he is also an experienced and talented rapper/musician with an amazing voice. His songs “A Thing Called Love,” “Hell Ride to Heaven” and “Medicine Cabinet” are his most popular originals with his message landing somewhere between faith and hope. “Hell Ride to Heaven” definitely has that New York sound. The music videos for Layne’s music can be streamed on Youtube under “Layne Harper” and his album “House of Blues” also can be streamed on Spotify. 

Layne also has ventured into fashion — he has launched his inspirational and faith-based urban clothing brand called Vctry (which Layne is wearing in the photo below right). The designs seem to resonate with customers who appreciate Vctry’s blend of style and functionality, offering pieces that are both fashion-forward and comfortable. 

As an actor, Layne has had a few roles in small, independent films, and he’s also done a few commercials, but most recently he scored a role as a reporter/member of the press in a major film — the upcoming and hotly anticipated Apple Original racing film called “F1,” starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris and Javier Bardem. The movie is about Formula 1 racing and is scheduled to be released in theaters on Friday, June 27. 

As for portraying the most ridiculed man in the world (at least currently), Layne says, “I actually turned the role down twice and prayed that someone else would be blessed with the opportunity rather than me. However, God had other plans for me. Yes, I feel I’m out of character, but there’s a difference between natural actors and method actors and for this role, I bounce between the two.” 

More Than Just A Role 

As Layne takes on the role of Diddy in “Diddy on Trial,” he isn’t just stepping into a role — he’s stepping into a cultural moment, one with lots and lots of baby oil. 

The show doesn’t shy away from controversy and neither does he. His performance captures the complexity of a man under intense public scrutiny, while also reflecting the broader questions regarding celebrity culture, justice and the role of the media. 

As the world watches the trial, Layne’s performance reminds us that storytelling — no matter the medium — has the power to challenge, provoke and, ultimately, inform. Whether or not this role also will make this Wesley Chapel family man a star in his own right remains to be seen. 

From Wesley Chapel to the world stage, Layne Harper is hoping to prove he’s more than ready for the spotlight. As his diverse background and creative endeavors continue to shape his multifaceted career, faith. hope and family continue to shape the man himself. 

New episodes of “Diddy on Trial: As It Happened” will be available for streaming on Hulu every Sunday through the conclusion of the trial.