ATTENTION WESLEY CHAPEL NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS READERS IN ZIP CODE 33545!

The January 21 edition of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News began hitting mailboxes in zip codes 33543 & 33544 on Saturday and everyone in those two Wesley Chapel zip codes will receive their Jan. 21 edition by tomorrow (Tuesday, Jan. 21).

If you live in zip code 33545, however, that portion of our bulk mailing will not hit mailboxes until this coming weekend (Jan 24 or 25). Because of all the growth in the northeastern part of Wesley Chapel, the Post Office suddenly changed many of the carrier routes in zip code 33545 โ€”  including adding five brand new postal carrier routes in that zip code โ€” and all of this happened as of Jan. 1. 

Unbeknownst to us, these new carrier routes were created by the Post Office by taking away portions of several existing routes that we’ve been mailing to in zip code 33545  โ€” and these new routes do not even show up yet on the Post Office’s Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) system. All I knew was that after a year of unprecedented growth of new homes in Wesley Chapel (more than 5,000 new addresses since Jan. 1, 2024, and one month with more than 1,000 new addresses!), our original direct mail count for the Jan. 21 edition somehow actually went down by more than 3,000 pieces โ€” so I knew something was wrong.

In order for those of you who live in zip code 33545 who have been reading our issues every four weeks to still receive the Jan. 21 edition, I had to do a second printing and mailing to add all five of these new carrier routes and not mail any copies to zip code 33545 until we had the total count correct for this issue.

I apologize for any inconvenience, but this was the only way for me to ensure that everyone in zip code 33545 who is supposed to receive the Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News receives their Jan. 21 edition.

Gary Nager 

Publisher & Editor

New Driving Range The First Of Many Improvements At Saddlebrook!ย 

(l.-r.) Jordan Kornberg of Mast Capital, Pasco County Comm. Jack Mariano & Florida Sports Coast exec. director Adam Thomas were among those who took the first swings on the new driving range at Saddlebrook Resort on Dec. 11.ย (Photos by Charmaine George & Gary Nager)

Since Mast Capital purchased Saddlebrook Resort & Spa from the resortโ€™s late founder and owner Tom Dempsey back in 2022, the Wesley Chapel community has been anxiously waiting to see what Mast was going to do to update and upgrade what was once the jewel of Wesley Chapel. 

To that end, on Dec. 11, Saddlebrook and Mast unveiled the resortโ€™s newly relocated golf driving range with a โ€œfirst driveโ€ ceremony, a champagne toast and a great party that thunder, lightning and the possibility of heavy rain cut short. 

With Saddlebrookโ€™s former driving range along S.R. 54 being replaced with apartments, the range was relocated to a portion of the former Palmer Course, one of two Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole courses at the resort. But, Mast decided to do away with nine of the Palmer Courseโ€™s 18 holes and the new driving range takes up about six of the other nine holes. 

When the renovations are complete, Saddlebrook will be left with 27 holes of championship golf. 


(Above, l.-r.) Saddlebrook managing director Raj Mohan, Kornberg & Mariano all spoke at the event.ย 

Mast Capital chief investment officer Jordan Kornberg promised that the new driving range โ€œis just the beginning. We will be returning Saddlebrook to its former glory.โ€ 

Among those joining Kornberg for the ceremonial first drive (complete with exploding golf balls) were the resortโ€™s managing director Raj Mohan, District 1 Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano and Florida Sports Coast executive director Adam Thomas. 

Mohan said he was looking forward to the community seeing the changes now in motion at Saddlebrook and Mariano also expressed excitement for the future of the resort. 

Attendees were treated to a picnic-style lunch with fried chicken, beef brisket and curried pork with all the trimmings, as well as enough umbrellas for everyone in attendance, as heavy showers were a looming possibility. 

For more information about Saddlebrook Resort, visit Saddlebrook.com or call (813) 973-1111.ย 

New Tampaโ€™s Winn-Dixie To Become Another Aldi; Sindbad Gets Ready To Open in Pebble Creekย 

As previously announced, the last remaining New Tampa Winn-Dixie supermarket, located at 6425 County Line Rd. (in the same plaza as LA Fitness), closed on Dec. 8 and is in the process of being converted to the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel areaโ€™s third ALDI grocery store. 

At our press time, we didnโ€™t know how long it would take for the new ALDI to open, but this Germany-based international brand already has nearly 2,500 U.S. supermarkets and more than 200 stores in Florida, including at 18002 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. in New Tampa and at 2215 Sun Vista Dr. in Lutz (in front of Costco). 

Sindbad To Replace Bang-Bang! 

Although the tasty Bang-Bang! Bowls store in the Pebble Creek Collection (at 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite C-2) lasted less than a year, coming soon (maybe even by the time youโ€™re reading this) to that location is the second Sindbad Tampa restaurant, which features smoothies, juices, crepes, desserts, cakes and ice cream. 

The original Sindbad location is at 10933 N. 56th St., Temple Terrace, and even though the shop has a Middle Eastern-sounding name (Sindbad the Sailor is a fictional character from Baghdad), the sign now posted in the Pebble Creek location would seem toย indicate a more Mexican-inspired menu. Among the items listed on that sign include Elote (Mexican street corn), Mangonada (a Mexican frozen beverage), Aguas Frescas (Mexican fresh fruit juice smoothies), Frutas con Nieve (water-based Mexican ice cream) and more Latin fare. However, the New Tampa Sindbad, like its Temple Terrace counterpart, also will feature some delicious-looking Sindbad Waffles (right) with fresh strawberries, blueberries and Nutella and you can even add ice cream.ย 

Until the New Tampa location opens, visit or call the Temple Terrace Sindbad at (813) 443-9692 & please tell them I sent you! โ€” GN 

RP&Gโ€™s โ€˜Build-A-Bear For A Causeโ€™ Event Nets 167 Bears For Kids In Need!ย 

Congrats to our friends Kent and Cindy Ross (the left photo is Cindy with โ€œSanta Paulโ€) of RP&G Printing. The Rosses hosted their annual โ€œBuild-A-Bear for a Causeโ€ event on Nov. 26 at the Build-A-Bear store in The Shops at Wiregrass. Their annual campaign ended with 167 bears built for children in need at Quail Hollow, Chester Taylor, Seven Oaks, Veterans, Double Branch and Wiregrass Ranch elementaries, as more than 60 people attended and 17 others made donations to this worthy cause.ย 

Kent and Cindy are amazing people who love giving back to their community! 

For all your printing needs, visit rpandg.com or call (813) 949-5700 and please tell Kent, Cindy & their staff that we sent you! โ€” GN

Tous les Jours Now Open On S.R. 56!

Photos by Charmaine George

Congratulations to the owners of the new Tous les Jours bakery franchise at 27209 S.R. 56 โ€” in the former location of Capital Tacos.

Like the Tous les Jours inside the Lotte Plaza Market in New Tampa, the Wesley Chapel location offers a large selection of freshly baked croissants, pastries, donuts, breads and more โ€” in both sweet and savory varieties โ€” as well as cakes, coffee drinks, teas, smoothies, lemonades and much more.

Photographer Charmaine George and I visited the new Tous les Jours and the first thing we both noticed is how much nicer and more spacious the new location is than the one in the Lott Plaza Market food court. There are several tables, as well as couches, for enjoying your purchases inside the shop, which in no way still resembles Capital Tacos.

As for the baked goods, among the sweet options we sampled are an almond croissant, a large Mont Blanc pastry (which is like a huge, crispy outside-flaky inside cinnamon roll), a strawberry croissant filled not only with super-fresh strawberries, but also whipped cream and a mini caramel apple pie. The savory items we’ve tried include a ham-&-cheese croissant, spinach and feta pastry (which is both sweet and savory), a croque monsieur sandwich (a French-style ham and cheese sandwich) and a sausage onion pastry, which is like a hot dog surrounded by a pastry with onions, cheese and ketchup. There also are several different kinds of milk breads, full bread loaves stuffed with whipped cream and so many more. We haven’t tried any of the cakes yet, but give us time!

As for beverages, I’ve enjoyed both the vanilla latte and caramel macchiato and Charmaine and I agreed that the fresh, thick, hand-spun mango smoothie was delicious. There also is a huge selection of hot and iced teas available and more!

Tous les Jours is a French-inspired, Korean-owned chain of bakeries with 1,700 locations around the world, including more than 100 (and growing) in the U.S.ย The Wesley Chapel Tous les Jours is open every day from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, call (813) 388-5612 or visit tljus.com.