Even though itâs the latest link in Wesley Chapelâs chain of chain restaurants, the new Bubbaâs 33 on S.R. 56 between Ashley Furniture and the affiliated Texas Roadhouse has a few advantages the others donât:
1. Itâs the first Bubbaâs 33 in the entire state of Florida
2. It not only has crispy-crust pizzas, excellent sports bar food and reasonably-priced drinks; it also has…
3. …Texas Roadhouse-quality ribeye steaks and…
4. …Amazing brunch on Saturday and Sunday and most of all…
5. Owner Jeff (at right in top photo) and his wife Crista Dean and their expertly-trained staff making sure that everyone leaves Bubbaâs 33 a fully satisfied & happy customer!Â
Please tell Jeff, Crista & Co. that you read about them in the Neighborhood News! Â
When it came to opening a new business in Wesley Chapel, Michael and Alicia Esenwein (photo) could have taken a nice, safe route.
Maybe a nice little coffee shop, a cozy family restaurant, or even a charming retail hot spot.
But no.
They choseâŠaxe throwing?
âItâs kind of a weird story,â Mike says. âIt wasnât ever really a long-range planâŠIâm not sure anyone ever plans (something like this).â
Once you talk to Seven Oaks residents Mike and Alecia, though, the story of The Kilted Axe â which will be a combination of a hip bar and hangout for axe-throwing enthusiasts when it opens on Saturday, January 18, 5 p.m., in The Grove â actually makes perfect sense.
After all, this is a couple that three years ago sold everything they owned â except for a Christmas tree Alicia says she couldnât get rid of â and, with three young kids in tow, traveled the world for 18 months, with stops in Indonesia, Thailand, Italy and Costa Rica.
So naturally, the Esenweinsâ adventurous spirit would lead to owning an axe-throwing business.
âWe were living in North Carolina temporarily, and were looking for something to do and there were like 10 locations on the east coast there that had axe throwing,â Mike says. âMost of it was in barns, or a rugged setting, but there was one place in Wilmington that was upscale and had a bar and a restaurant. We just loved it. It was a cool place to hang out.â
It wasnât until a few years after returning from North Carolina, after running some successful Under Armour flag football leagues as well as doing a little teaching â Mike was an online computer science professor for the University of Virginia and American Public University â that Alicia became restless.
âI want to do something,â she told Mike, and soon the idea for The Kilted Axe had flowered. It had been, after all, the one thing she had been asked about most by friends when they returned from North Carolina, thanks to some of her Facebook pictures.
They passively started looking at barns and warehouses for a site, but were also looking to buy a house, so they decided to put the business idea on hold until 2020.
A trip to The Grove, however, changed everything. Remembering it as a moribund center lacking zip, they drove by when they heard developer Mark Gold had bought it.
Gold, the high-charged developer with a big vision for his property, happened to be standing outside. They chatted. And Gold, who has axe-throwing places at some of his other properties, insisted they start their business as soon as possible.
âMost people wouldnât rent a space like this for axe throwing,â Mike says. âThey want restaurants. Mark knows, though. He loved the idea.â
After meeting some of the other business owners who had already signed leases with Gold, they were sold.
Axe throwing is a trendy, growing sport. The International Axe Throwing Federation (IATF) says there are more than 6,000 league members in more than 100 cities and six countries. It is a staple in lumberjack competitions and has been televised on ESPN.
Mike and Alicia compare it to throwing darts; itâs just a matter of getting the technique down.
The Kilted Axe will have three throwing lanes, all safely fenced in and manned by âAxepertsâ there to help.
There also will be a lounge and balcony to hang out and have a few drinks or host an event. âKind of like an old school pool hall feel,â Mike says.
And, because you have to be wondering â yes, mixing beer, wine and axe throwing can be safe.
âIf you show up intoxicated and ready to throw axes, well, guess what? Itâs not going to happen,â Mike says.
There will be menâs and womenâs leagues, co-ed leagues, and even events for kids. Mike and Alicia have three kids â Jason, 14; Hailey, 12, and Hannah, who is 4. They all think axe throwing is pretty cool.
Alicia says she canât wait for The Kilted Axe to open. Any fear that they were rushing into a crazy idea dissolved when they posted the news on Facebook, which lit up with enthusiasm.
More than 3,700 people say they are interested in attending opening night. Almost 300 say they are going for sure. A dozen or so people have signed up for leagues, a few nights are already booked for corporate events, and itâs one of the more buzzworthy new places set to open in Wesley Chapel.
âIt was a crazy response,â Alicia says. âWeâre anxious. Believe me, weâre anxious!â
For more information, visit TheKiltedAxe.com, or search for âKilted Axeâ on Facebook.
Celebrity chef Fabiano Viviani is bringing Chuck Lager America’s Tavern to the Shops at Wiregrass next spring. (CBS Philadelphia)
Chuck Lager America’s Tavern is coming to the Shops at Wiregrass, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
By mid-April, the new restaurant inspired by celebrity chef Fabio Viviani could be open in the 7,500-sq.-ft. space previously occupied by Primebar.
According to TBBJ, the operating partners are Anthony Sandstorm and Brian Henry, formerly regional managers with Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza.
The Wesley Chapel location will be only the second for Chuck Lager America’s Tavern, which also has a Pike Creek, DE location.
The made-from-scratch menu, designed and perfected by Viviani, is loaded with American classics with a twist from the Florence, Italy-born chef.
A restaurateur, cookbook author and former Top Chef star three different seasons — including one where he was voted the “Fan Favorite,” Viviani helped craft a menu that includes items like crunchy smoked mozzarella with tomato jam, asiago gnocchi, chicken marsala, roasted salmon risotto and a variety of pizzas, burgers and salads.
The brunch menu includes tasty-sounding treats like bananas foster french toast, carnitas omelets and lemon ricotta pancakes.
Viviani is involved in several restaurant projects in the Tampa Bay area, including Mision Lago Ranch in nearby Thonotosassa.
The Joint Chiropractic of New Tampa (19014 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) is proud to welcome Dr. Richard Tantillo.
Dr. Tantillo will be at the New Tampa location Mondays-Fridays. He has earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of the State of New York, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Strayer University, and a Doctorate of Chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, NY, in 2000.
Originally from Long Island, N.Y., Dr. Tantillo also has worked in Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg.
His own first-hand experience with chiropractic led him to this point in his life.
âAfter long-lasting back pain, I visited a chiropractor and received my first chiropractic adjustment,â he says. âI felt immediate relief. I started chiropractic college two years later and have never looked back.â
He is grateful for the opportunity to work at The Joint Chiropractic in an environment that doesnât lose sight of the goal: serving people who need help.
âI had practiced for years following the insurance model,â he says. âOver time, I saw many of my patients no longer able to afford chiropractic care due to high deductibles and copays. The Joint offers an affordable solution that allows almost everyone to enjoy the benefits of regular chiropractic care.â
Appointments are never required to visit The Joint. For more information, call (813) 644-8944 and please tell D. Tantillo you read about him and The Joint in the Neighborhood News!
North Tampa Bay Chamber News!
Although Jannah and I had to miss this yearâs âExcellence in Businessâ awards gala, hosted by the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC) at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (for the first time), we had a pretty good reason â Jannahâs daughter Lauren gave birth to our first grandchild â the precious Rosalie (âRosieâ) Carolyn Cione â at about the same time as the event.
Even though we missed the awards gala, I still wanted to congratulate this yearâs award winners. As a former âSmall Business of the Yearâ award winner (in 2014) for the former Wesley Chapel Chamber, I know how nice it is to accept one of these awards:
âSmall Businessâ – Advisor Magazine
âNew Businessâ – Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel
âLarge Businessâ – AdventHealth Wesley Chapel
âEntrepreneurâ – Slater âą Grant
âLarge Businessâ – AdventHealth Wesley Chapel
âVolunteerâ – Cam Caudle, Shred 360
For more information about the North Tampa Bay Chamber, call (813) 994-8534 or stop by at 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd., Suite A-1, Lutz.
Congrats, Parks Ford!
Speaking of the Chamber, November has been a busy month for NTBC ribbon-cutting events. Congratulations go out to Ron Parks (in yellow in photo above) and the entire team at Parks Ford of Wesley Chapel (28739 S.R. 54), which unveiled its newly revamped showroom at a ribbon-cutting event on Nov. 13. The amazing thing is that the dealership never closed during its massive (and impressive) renovation! For more info, call (888) 742-4177 or visit FordofWesleyChapel.com.
Your CBD Store Opens!
Congrats to owner Debra Curler of the new Your CBD store in the Pebble Creek Collection. We previously told you about the opening of the Your CBD Store in Wesley Chapel, well New Tampa has now added another link in the largest chain of CBD stores, with nearly 500 locations nationwide and still growing. Curler says Your CBD Storeâs hemp-based products have extremely low levels of THC (0.3% or less) and therefore will not offer a psychoactive âhighâ like marijuana. Itâs even safe for pets!
For more information about Your CBD Store (19651 BBD Blvd.) or call (813) 994-0599.
Also cutting a ribbon with the NTBC on Oct. 10 was Havertys Furniture, located off S.R. 56, just east of I-75, which unveiled its newly remodeled showroom.
Wesley Chapel Havertys manager Brandon Young says the storeâs new look will appeal to Havertysâ base clients, who tend to skew a little older than some furniture stores, as well as younger furniture shoppers who will appreciate getting quality furniture at a fair price. For more info, call (813) 994-0541 or stop by at 26450 Golden Maple Loop and tell Brandon& his crew we sent you! â GN
As holiday breaks approach for all of our local schools, Whartonâs band, orchestra and choir programs will get together to make music in a somewhat unexpected style that has become an annual tradition.
Called âPrism,â it will feature every large performing ensemble in the schoolâs music department, which includes the band, orchestra and chorus.
âThe concert runs in a non-traditional, continuous or circular format,â explains Justin Swaim, music department chair, âwith varying performing locations throughout the concert hall.â
So, when one ensemble finishes performing, the spotlight will instantly move to another area of the auditorium and the next piece will begin.
It might go from a vocal solo of a popular holiday song to a string quartet playing a classical piece. Then, the entire orchestra may appear on stage, while the jazz band sets up in the back corner.
Swaim says Prism is a fast-paced, fun and somewhat unexpected evening.
Groups scheduled to perform include Whartonâs Wind Ensemble, Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Wildcat Orchestra, Jazz Band, Lady Catz Choir, Mixed Choir, Percussion Ensemble and smaller ensembles.
The schoolâs marching band, called Wharton Regiment, will fill the auditorium in a unique way. Typically, its sounds are reserved for outdoor football fields.
But, during Prism, the Wharton Regiment brings a modified version of this seasonâs halftime show, which scored straight superiors (the highest possible score) at its MPA (Music Performance Assessment) competition last month and features music from Marvel Studiosâ âThe Avengers.â
From quiet to loud, classical to contemporary, Swaim says that at Prism, âthere is always something for all ages and all musical tastes.â
Prism will be held on Friday, December 13, at 7 p.m. in the Wharton High School auditorium, located on the south side of the school (closer to Walmart) at 20150 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Admission is $5 for adults and free for students with student ID and children ages 12 and under. All proceeds from admission will go directly to supporting the students participating in the Wharton High music department.
For questions regarding the concert, please email Justin Swaim at justin.swaim@sdhc.k12.fl.us. â CM
