When Patrick Abad, the managing partner and VP of the Lexus of Wesley Chapel dealership scheduled to open later this year, regaled the June 21 audience at the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC)โs Economic Development Briefing with updates about the areaโs next luxury car dealership, he drew oohs and ahhs from the crowd.
And, he did a lot of that without even mentioning the cars.
Thanks to a local family median income in the $80,000 range, an influx of new homes on the horizon and rapid business growth, Wesley Chapel has become a hot destination for luxury car dealers. Lexus of Wesley Chapel, being built just south and west of Wesley Chapel Toyota at 5300 Eagleston Blvd. (south of State Road 54 between Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and I-75), will be joining what is growing into a booming luxury car market that already includes Mercedes-Benz of Wesley Chapel, which opened in 2015, and Audi Wesley Chapel, which will open a little later this year than Lexus.
(L.-r.) Randy Newbold of Williams Automotive Group, Steve Domonkos of the Shops at Wiregrass, Eric Johnson of Williams Auto, Jennifer Tussing of the Wesley Chapel Chamber and Patrick Abad, the managing partner and VP of Lexus of Wesley Chapel.
Abad wowed the WCCC audience with details of what will be a state-of-the-art facility that he expects will revolutionize the local car-buying experience.
โWe have visited over 40 Lexus dealerships in the last 18 months, and we took the best from each one,โโ Abad said. โWhen we sat down with the architect, we said we want all of these things.โ
Those things include simple, but expensive touches like the $2 million being spent on a double car wash. โLexus said we didnโt have to build a car wash,โ Abad says, โso we didnโt…we built two.โ
A pavilion, equipped with a grill, refrigerator and televisions and able to host small corporate events, will link the Lexus dealership to the adjacent Wesley Chapel Toyota dealership. Inside, a cafe featuring fresh sandwiches and a smoothie machine, massage chairs, a business center and even a โquietโ room for those working while they wait for their cars is being incorporated into the dealership.
Abad is part of the Williams Automotive Group of Wesley Chapel, which also operates Wesley Chapel Toyota and Wesley Chapel Honda on Wesley Chapel Blvd. (or C.R. 54), the Wesley Chapel Used Superstore on S.R. 54 and Tampa Honda on N. Florida Ave.
Williams Automotive, run by brothers John and David Williams, has been chasing a Lexus dealership โ there are only 236 in the country, Abad says โ for years. They even did their own market study, which showed a need for a Lexus dealership in Wesley Chapel, and as one of about 500 applicants, presented it yearly in the hopes of being awarded one. Once chosen, the process included five thorough on-site interviews at Toyota.
โTwo grueling years,โโ Abad said, adding that it was the first time in 12 years a new dealer had been brought into the Lexus family. He said that the success of Wesley Chapel Toyota, chosen as the WCCC Large Business of the Year in 2015, played a big role.
The new dealership is being built on eight acres of land, and though the standard Lexus dealership is roughly 20,000-sq.-ft., the Wesley Chapel location will be 64,000-sq.-ft.
โItโs bigger because we know whatโs going to happen in this market,โโ Abad said. โAnd, weโll be ready.โ
High-tech customer care, though, will be a centerpiece. โTechnology like you will not see in any other store,โโ Abad said.
When Lexus owners pull in, radio-frequency identification (RFID) will alert their customer service rep inside. An electronic tire reader will tell you if you need new tires before you even take a seat inside. WiFi in the poles in the parking lot will allow employees to better address customer needs via their tablets.
As for sales, gone are the days of what Abad called the โ27 steps of the sale process.โ With smarter shoppers these days due to computers and the internet, Abad said sales reps do not have to drag customers through all 27 steps.
โCustomers are all at different spots in the process,โโ he says. โIf they come in and know the price they want to pay, what their car is worth, what they want to buy, canโt we just skip steps 1-22 and go right to 23?โ
In fact, due to tablet technology, Abad said in some cases it might be feasible to skip right to 27, and sign the paperwork for your car on a tablet in your own driveway.
Lexus will hire 100 people, and Abad said they are looking more to the customer service and hospitality industries. He also said he has received 1,200 applications from all over the country โ even one from a director of concierge at a Ritz-Carlton Hotel in California.
Lexus will hit the ground running. Abad is handling a promotion called the Founding 100, which will provide various perks for the first 100 customers to buy a Lexus at the Wesley Chapel location. It includes upgrades like a lifetime warranty, lifetime oil changes and car washes, as well as other VIP services.
The promotion already has been a hit. Six months before Lexus is set to open, 95 cars already have been pre-sold. โThe average Lexus store sells about 100 monthly,โโ Abad said. โWeโre doing 100 the first week.โ Or more. Abad added that Lexus of Wesley Chapel they may widen the promotion for additional customers.
โI think this is going to be great for the community,โโ he says. โI think you are going to be proud of what we do.โ
For more information, check out Lexus of Wesley Chapelโs website at Lexus OfWesleyChapel.com.
Tampa Bay Curling Club president Bernie Skerkowski guides his stone.
It is Saturday night in Wesley Chapel, a typical summer night where a 90ยบ+ day has given way to a torrential downpour. But, inside chilly Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI), the atmosphere couldnโt be a more perfect for the Tampa Bay Curling Club (TBCC).
A cart with plastic pitchers of beer is hoisted onto a rink โ where stones and brooms and a collection of mismatched locals with rubber bands on their shoes (to keep from slipping) โ men and women, ranging in ages from 15 to 70, are ready for their favorite night of the week.
Annie Gargasz gets busy sweeping.
In a cacophony of stones clacking together and teammates cheering each other on, club president Bernie Skerkowskiโs voice seems to boomerang off the boards.
โNoโฆโฆnoโฆโฆYes! Sweeeeeep! Sweeeeeep!โ
Skerkowski teaches the sport and runs the curling program at FHCI, but he also is on a team โ Curl Jam โ in the inaugural season of curling that is now less than halfway through its first season in the Tampa Bay area. He is exhorting his teammates to brush the ice, which is covered with tiny droplets of water that harden into little pebbles of ice, and smooth it out so the 42-pound stone that he has just slid towards the โhouse,โ or target, can pick up some steam and trajectory.
โSweeeeeeeeeeeep!โ
Although the sport of curling is definitely in its infancy at Florida Hospital Center Ice, more than 60 people already are participating in the first-ever curling league in the Tampa Bay area, including curling vet Scott Gargasz (squatting) of Advanced Hands.
When the stone finds its mark inside the house, he flashes a smile towards his teammates, and is greeted with two thumbs up.
This happens on all five sheets (or rows) of ice on one of the three NHL-sized rinks every Saturday night at FHCI, over and over, by an enthusiastic group excited about being curling pioneers in Wesley Chapel. The โSpirit of Curling,โ a common phrase used in the game by players to describe the sportsmanship, camaraderie and etiquette that is supposed to define the sport, is on display.
โWe canโt wait for Saturday nights,โโ said DJ Bonoan, a computer engineer who formed a team, House of Chapel, with his friends Noah Bethel, Orlando Rosales and Billy Still.
Bonoan and his teammates have so embraced curlingโs arrival, he is documenting their first season on a blog called TheHadjiChronicles.com, where he posts a video series he shoots and edits called โSTONED.โ
โWeโre always thinking about it,โโ Bonoan says. โIโm at work, looking at better strategies for playing, looking for game plans, trying to figure out better ways to get the stone down the ice. Man, we love it!โ
Bonoan has even downloaded a curling game app for his cell phone.
Skerkowski isnโt surprised that Bonoan and others have quickly developed an obsession with curling.
He and FHCI general manager Kevin Wolter had talked about hosting a curling league long before the doors were even open at the facility, with both feeling it would be a big hit in the community.
When they were able to convince developers to build room for five sheets of curling ice (one sheet for each game being played), they knew they could make it work. โI am still a little surprised,โโ Skerkowski says. โItโs more people than I expected. When we had our informational meeting, I thought weโd get 30-40 people out, but we had 100.โ
Big Numbers, Big Fun!
The TBCC (visit TampaBayCurlingClub.com) currently has 63 members, and 80 percent of them had no curling experience when they signed up. The league, which has 10 teams, is co-ed, although, if interest increases, Skerkowski is open to a womenโs-only league in the future.
Liz Mitchell was just โalong for the rideโ until she got curling fever herself.
The league already utilizes five sheets every Saturday. The Orlando Curling Club, which has been around for a few years, usually only has access to three or four, according to Skerkowski.
โThey canโt believe how many weโve got,โโ says Skerkowski.
The league has recently been accepted into the Grand National Curling Club (GNCC), a 150-year-old organization that has more than 4,700 members, or roughly a quarter of all curlers in the U.S., according to its website. Skerkowski says getting in the GNCC was a coup for a club so young.
โEven they (GNCC) were surprised by how many members we have,โโ he said.
The current TBCC league, which was about to complete (at our press time) the fourth week of a 10-week season, is just the tip of the, well…iceberg.
By the start of the next season, an influx of snowbirds returning to Florida and word of mouth is expected to increase the number of local curling participants. The 2018 Winter Olympics will be held in February in PyeongChang, South Korea, which will give the sport another boost, with the TBCC expecting to see an influx of new members as a result.
Wolter says there could also be plans for a Sunday morning league, which are very popular up north, as well as bonspiels, or weekend tournaments.
โIt has been very successful so far, so we can definitely see this expanding into a number of different things,โโ he says.
Curling reminds many of shuffleboard, a popular game with the older set in Florida, although it is more commonly referred to as โchess on iceโ and dates back to the 1500s.
Each game is played on a rectangular sheet of ice which is roughly 150 feet long and 16 feet wide. At FHCI, the five sheets of ice are laid down side. The ice is โpebbled,โ a process where small droplets of water are frozen across the surface. Without pebbling, Skerkowski says, the stone would barely move. With it, the stone is able to glide more effectively and spin, or curl…hence the name.
While players take turns โthrowing,โ or pushing, the stone, their teammates play the role of sweepers, using a broom to brush the ice to the front and side of the stone. The brushing reduces friction underneath the stone and allows its path, speed and spin to be manipulated.
Teams alternate shots and are aiming for the house, the area that looks like a target, as they try to score points for being closest to the center. Each team throws eight stones to complete an โendโ (or inning, like in baseball). Although the number varies, a typical match consists of eight ends.
โWhen we were first got here, I was thinking, โHow hard could this be?,โโโ says Bonoan, who is no stranger to working out. โBut, Iโll tell you this, itโs a lot more challenging than it looks on TV. I was actually sore after the first Learn To Curl class.โ
Although curling is huge in Canada โ where national finals are televised โ and in the northern U.S. (it has even been featured in an episode of โThe Simpsonsโ), the only time most Americans ever see the sport is during the Winter Olympics.
The game enjoyed a spike in popularity when it returned as an Olympic sport in 1998, after its exclusion from the Olympic programs since 1924. In 2010, it was prominently featured during Olympic TV coverage, creating another boost of popularity. โPeople laugh at it, but when it is on during the Olympics, everybody watches it,โ Skerkowski says.
Catching The Fever…
New Tampa resident Raquel Aluisy, who convinced best friend Janice Tuffy to join her and started researching the sport before it even started at FHCI (only to find the closest clubs were in Orlando or Fort Myers), says โI remember curling during the Olympics, watching it at 3 a.m. when I was little, and thought it looked so cool and fun,โโ Aluisy says. โA couple of months later, they announced it at Center Ice and I called Janice and said โWEโRE DOING IT!โโ
Raquel and Janice met Chris Ansey and Dave Hobbs at one of the Learn To Curl classes in May, and decided to form a team, Kuchโs Kurlers, for the league.
โEverybody was just so friendly and nice,โโ she says. โWe all learned together, fell together and got back up together.โ
Raquel tried to recruit others, โbut all my friends at work think Iโm crazy.โ
Saturday night may not ideal for many, but Raquel has no problem making her way to Wesley Chapel for league matches. At least, so far. A Tampa Bay Lightning season ticketholder, she expects a few of the hockey games to conflict with her curling career. โThat will be a tough choice,โ she says, laughing.
Mike Meyers of Dade City watched curling during the last Olympics, and when he read that an ice rink was being built nearby, he told his wife if they ever started curling, he was going to play.
One of the first few curlers to sign up at FHCI, Meyers and his son Chris, who is 15, play on Get Your SHEET Together. On a recent Saturday night, Chris found the bulls eye a few times, although the team fell short against License to Curl.
โHeโs not a big sports kid at all, but he has picked it right up,โโ Mike said.
Their teammates, Danny Winters and his fiancรฉ Liz Mitchell of Wesley Chapel, signed up together. Danny says he was debating trying the sport out after stumbling across a curling demo one day at FHCI, when his 8-year-old son Avery nudged the guy at the sign-up table and said โMy dad wants to try it out.โโ
That guy happened to be Skerkowski, who closed the deal with Winters.
โI was along for the ride,โโ said Mitchell, who admits she has also developed a fondness for the sport.
Itโs not cheap to curl, a fact that nearly scared off Mitchell and others.
To join the Tampa Bay Curling Club, the annual dues are $75 (which covers insurance) and to register a team is $250 (or what amounts to $25 a match). That comes out to $250 per player, though Skerkowski says a team of eight that alternates the weeks they play cuts that in half.
Ice time is not cheap. In fact, the league started a three-week hiatus after the games June 24 because other scheduled events need the rink. And creating the particular curling sheets is time consuming. โWeโve made it as cheap as possible,โโ he says. โNobody is making any money off this.โ
While the club provides some brooms, most members have gone online to buy their own, which start at around $50 for a fiberglass version if you shop around. There are specially-made curling shoes, which is another cost for the serious player, there are slider slippers to share and you can get by with rubberbands to keep from slipping.
You do not, however, need the most expensive piece of equipment, the stone. The FHCI is leasing 16 of the granite stones for the league, for a cost of $6,000 a year, but will eventually own them.
Some teams have also decided to buy matching uniforms for the games.
โItโs been worth every penny,โโ says Bonoan. โI canโt wait to see what other stuff they have planned.โ
For more information about upcoming Learn To Curl Classes, current league standings and future leagues, visit TampaBayCurlingClub.com or contact president Bernie Skerkowski at (813) 758-2279.
Two of the most highly-anticipated new restaurants in Wesley Chapel — Irish 31 and Noble Crust — have finally announced their grand openings.
Irish 31 Pub House & Eatery will officially open its fifth Tampa Bay location when the doors swing open at theย new Shops at Wiregrass location on Thursday, July 6.
The festivities at the 2,734-sq.-ft. location are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.. The Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will be on hand for the official ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m.
Founded by former USF football player Jay Mize (who wore No. 31 as a Bull), Irish 31’s other locations are in Hyde Park Village, Westshore Plaza and Westchase, as well as a space on the Chase Club level in Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa.
Meanwhile, Noble Crust is expected to open its doors in mid-July, following a special VIP event on Saturday, July 15, to benefit the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Foundation.
The 166-seat restaurant (with 56 outdoor seats on the patio) will feature its popular brand of seasonal Italian fare with Southern soul.
“This is a flourishing area, and we’re looking forward to growing our success in this community,” said co-founder TJ Thielbar.
Although I had never encountered a sheepadoodle until January of this year, when New Tampa resident Todd Pitner brought his sweet, then-year-old, 100-lb. sheepadoodle named Zammy into our office for a story in our January 13 issue โ after a photo of Zammy, taken at the Shops at Wiregrass mall, went viral (more than a million hits) on Reddit.
And, my life hasnโt been the same since.
Although I currently live in an apartment, if I ever do move into a house, Iโm going to buy a sheepadoodle (old English sheepdog and standard poodle) because I have never seen a better disposition on an animal of any size or breed, much less on a giant stuffed animal come to life.
Since that first story, Zammy has appeared on WCNT-tv, replacing yours truly on set with my co-anchor Susanna Martinez, and I promised Todd that if he ever wanted us to do a follow-up, all we needed was someplace to go where I could see โ and chronicle โ Zammyโs instant rapport with literally everyone he meets.
So, when Todd asked me and WCNT-tv production assistant Gavin Olsen (who starred as the voice of Zammy in that WCNT-tv segment) to tag along and watch this gentle giant work his magic with the children in the Shriners Hospital on the Tampa campus of USF, we were both thrilled to tag along.
And of course, Zammy didnโt disappoint. Whether the kids were wheelchair bound or walking, teenagers or toddlers, or even Shriners Hospital staff, Zammy gave everyone a few happy minutes of his time and I didnโt see one kid, parent or hospital staffer leave him without a smile on their faces.
I thank Shriners Hospital Tampaโs public relations manager Lisa Buie for not only letting us accompany Zammy on his mission of goodwill, but also for getting everyone in these pictures to sign a release so we could show them.
Look for more Zammy exploits in future issues โ and on future episodes of WCNT-tv.
The Shriners Hospitals for Children-Tampa is a 60-bed nonprofit specialty care facility that has served 60,000 patients since it was established in 1985.
If you think the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) is going to slow its roll anytime soon, guess again.
Since our last issue, the WCCC has hosted ribbon-cutting ceremonies on May 24 at the new Axiom Bank inside the Walmart on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and at the beautiful, new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa North-Wesley Chapel.
This month, the Chamber unveiled its new โExplore Wesley Chapel & New Tampaโ video at its Monthly Business Breakfast at PHSC on June 6, held ribbon cuttings on June 5 at Mystic Oaks Dentistry and at The Joint Chiropractic in New Tampa.
(Please note that not all Chamber events are free, although most are open to the public. For info (including all start times for these events), call (813) 994-8534 or visit WesleyChapelChamber.com.)
I also wanted to give a special shout-out to the folks at the new Holiday Inn Express, which hosted one of the best Grand Openingย events Iโve attended, with delicious food from Puff โn Stuff Catering and lots of great giveaways (I won two tickets to the Cobb 16 movie theater, where I saw โWonder Woman,โ and a $30 gift certificate to Texas Roadhouse, where I had an excellent NY strip), as well as tours of this beautiful, new hotel located adjacent to Florida Hospital Center Ice.
The Joint Opens!
Even though I had never been adjusted by a chiropractor before I visited the new The Joint Chiropractic, located in the space previously occupied by the Halftime Sports Lounge at 19014 BBD Blvd., in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center Plaza, Iโm a true believer now.
The Joint New Tampa is owned by Dr. Edward Leonard, D.C.โs TJ Wesley Chapel PA and managed by Valerie and Alex Pierroutsakosโ VALEX Inc. The Joint welcomes walk-ins and no insurance is needed because the prices are so amazing. New patients pay just $29 for their initial visit for a limited time (when it goes back up to $39), which includes a consultation, exam and a chiropractic adjustment with Dr. Leonard or Dr. Barnabas Bickerton, D.C.
For more info, visit TheJoint.com, call (813) 995-7380 or see the ad on pg. 3.
The Cake Shop Opens!
Congratulations to my new friends Joe and Jana, the owners of The Cake Shop, which opened in May at 20327 BBD in the Live Oak Preserve area, next to Firestone Complete Auto Care.
The Cake Shop naturally has a European flair and feel, as the owners are from the eastern European country of Montenegro, and Janaโs incredible, different-each-day variety of truly gourmet cakes by the slice, square (like the moist, delicious chocolate ice cube in the photo) or the whole cake are beyond compare and made with the highest-quality ingredients.
There also are different-each-day, gourmet cupcakes, gluten-free and egg-free cakes and desserts, plus sandwiches, salads, Lavazza coffee and you should also ask about their awesome custom cakes for special occasions.
You really have to see it to understand it, so please tell Joe and Jana that you saw them in the Neighborhood News, whether you stop in, call (813) 991-8513 or check them out on Facebook or Instagram @TheCakeShopTampa.
Irish 31 & Noble Crust Still On The Way, But…
It seems like new dining options are opening near the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO) almost every day (e.g., signs for the previously announced Wendyโs and Taco Bell have recently gone up across the street from TPO), but the restaurant question the most people ask me is โAre Noble Crust and Irish 31 still coming to the Shops at Wiregrass?โ
The answer is a resounding โyes,โ but neither restaurant looks like it will be ready to open by the end of this month, which was the last thing I heard from Noble Crust Wesley Chapel GM Will Perez and founder TJ Theilbar several weeks ago.
Even so, Irish 31, which has existing locations in Westchase, Westshore, at Amalie Arena and Hyde Park Village, all in Tampa, will open its first Pinellas County location on Clearwater Beach and its first Pasco location at Wiregrass, hopefully sometime in July.
We told you about Irish 31, which is owned by former USF football star Jay Mize, before any other news medium, back in January 2016. The Irish 31 at Wiregrass will be 2,800 sq. ft. and will feature the same great chef-inspired cuisine as the other Irish 31 locations. Visit Irish31.com for more details.
Meanwhile, Noble Crust, which had a widely viewed WCNT-tv episode following its second place Peopleโs Choice award at the Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, has a 4th St. in St. Petersburg location that continues to impress me with its array of delicious Italian cuisine with a southern twist, like the bucatini pasta with beef, lamb and pork meatballs pictured on the previous page. Just get it open, guys!
For more info, visit Noble-Crust.com.
The Gift Box Celebrates 3 Years!
The Gift Box Boutique (17032 Palm Pointe Dr. in Tampa Palms) will be celebrating its third Birthday with a three-day event!
From Thursday-Saturday, June 22-24, purchase any three items at The Gift Box and the third item will be 30-percent off. Come join the fun! Sips and Snacks will be served while you shop!
For more info, call (813) 284-5986, check out The Gift Box on Facebook, Yelp and Instagram or see the ad on pg. 50.
Openings & Closings In New Tampa
Thereโs been a lot of businesses opening and closing in New Tampa over the past several weeks. Hereโs a quick rundown:
โข Wing Zone has closed in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza, while the new China One take-out Chinese restaurant has opened next to Leivaโs Jewelers and The Joint (see previous page) in the same plaza.
โข Tuesday Morningย has announced that its store in the Publix-anchored City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center will close by the end of June, or whenever the store runs out of inventory. No word yet on when The Fat Rabbit Pub & Grub will open in City Plaza.
โข Pitaโs Republic (in the same plaza on BBD at County Line Rd. as Five Guys and Frogury) will become NY Guys Grill & Smoothie by the end of the month. We were told the eatery will remain open during the transition.
โข The second location of Precinct Pizza has opened at 10970 Cross Creek Blvd., in the space previously occupied by Zaytoun Grill.
โข Starbucks has opened in front of the Tampa Premium Outlets on S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel. โย GN
โItโs bigger because we know whatโs going to happen in this market,โโ Abad said. โAnd, weโll be ready.โ
