WCTG Presents A “One-Act (Play) Festival” 

Theater lovers: mark your calendars for an afternoon of creativity, laughter, and powerful storytelling! The Wesley Chapel Theater Group (WCTG) is proud to present its “One-Act (Play) Festival” on Saturday & Sunday, July 12-13, 2 p.m., both days. The Festival will be a vibrant celebration of local talent that brings original one-act plays to life on stage. 

This exciting event showcases the power of community-driven art, featuring short plays that have been written and will be directed and performed entirely by local artists. From heartfelt dramas to witty comedies, each one-act play promises a unique and captivating experience, all within a single afternoon. 

The Festival performances will be held at the Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center (12118 Lake Blanche Dr., in nearby Odessa). The doors will open at 1:40 p.m. both days, so arrive early to grab your seat and settle in for a memorable ride through the imaginations of our hometown playwrights. 

“This festival is all about celebrating the incredible talent we have right here in our own backyard,” says WCTG Board member Samantha Grahn. “We’re giving local voices the spotlight and inviting the community to come together to laugh, feel and be inspired.” 

Whether you’re a seasoned theatergoer or new to the stage, this is the perfect opportunity to support local artists, enjoy original performances and be part of something truly special. Gather your friends, grab your tickets and get ready to be swept away by the magic of live theater! 

Featured Plays At WCTG’s ‘One-Act Festival’: 

“A Rainy Night in Hollywood,” by Tom Erb 

“Cliché,” by Keith Whalen 

“Three Years,” by WCTG’s Samantha Sacasa 

“Full Frontal Transparency,” by Jenna Jane 

“The Oatmeal,” by Robert Grogan 

“Love, Lost (Rings) & What We Wore,” by Jessica Burchfield 

Tickets to WCTG’s “One-Act Festival” cost just $25 and can be purchased online at Simpletix.com/e/wctg-presents-one-act-festival-2025-tickets-218617. For more information, follow “Wesley Chapel Theater Group” on social media, visit WesleyChapelTheaterGroup.org. — Submitted to the Neighborhood News 

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 Café), 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 Puffs®” and the chewy Cookie Dough Brownies made with M&Ms® 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 Treat®” (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-Ready®” options are even less expensive, with the “Classic Cheese” and “Classic Pepperoni” both for just $7.29 & up, the “Extramostbestest®” 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