Wesley Chapel Seven Oaks Library To Break Ground In Early 2024! 

When the new library opens, sometime in 2025, it will have access from both Mystic Oak Blvd. (bottom road) and Seven Oaks Elementary. (Renderings provided by Pasco County)

It’s not happening right away, but by sometime in 2025, Wesley Chapel will be home to two Pasco County public libraries. 

The recently remodeled and completely revamped New River Library reopened on S.R. 54 — to rave reviews — last year. 

But, wait until you get a look at the new 14,000-sq.-ft. Wesley Chapel Seven Oaks Library, which is now under permitting review and should begin building next to Seven Oaks Elementary by early 2024. 

According to Pasco County public information officer Sarah Andeara, the county is in the process of evaluating and selecting a contractor for the award of the $10-million contract later this year. 

“The groundbreaking of the Wesley Chapel Seven Oaks Library is expected in early 2024 and the project will take approximately 16 months to complete,” Andeara says. “The architecture firm of Fleischman Garcia Maslowski has provided the building’s design and the $10 million budgeted by the county is expected to cover the design, construction, furniture, equipment and collection materials.” 

In addition to books, audiobooks, and DVDs, the new library will feature public computers, printers, a separate children’s area, collaborative spaces, a gallery wall in the lobby, an outdoor reading porch, a multi-purpose room for “makerspace” and other activities, a meeting room, and study rooms. Drive-up services also will be available at this location. 

The Wesley Chapel Seven Oaks Library’s design has been provided by Fleischman Garcia Maslowski
Architects.

The Wesley Chapel Seven Oaks library’s unique multipurpose makerspace room, with a designated outdoor mobile makerspace area, will provide all kinds of activities from Pasco’s other library makerspaces to the Wesley Chapel community. Some examples of these activities include woodworking, music and multimedia recording, ceramics and pottery, cooking, gardening, and more. 

After receiving input from the local community, it was decided that the best use of the new library’s makerspace space would be to go with a multipurpose room option. 

The intent for the multipurpose room is for it to serve as a “launch pad” for a mobile makerspace — which is expected to be a mobile van outfitted with a wide variety of different classic makerspace activities, such as woodworking activities, gardening, cooking, musical instruments, and recording options, as well as STEM activities. 

For more information about the Wesley Chapel Seven Oaks Library, visit PascoLibraries.org. 

Shuckin’ Shack To ‘Soft Open’ On Monday; Slim Chickens Opening Sept. 28!

We previously told you that both Slim Chickens (at 27244 Wesley Chapel Blvd.) and Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar (at 25026 Wesley Chapel Blvd. extension) were both expected to open soon, with Slim Chickens perhaps ready to open before our Sept. 19 New Tampa issue hit mailboxes. Both restaurants have now announced their new planned opening dates.

According to Jared, one of the franchise owners of Slim Chickens on Wesley Chapel Blvd. (just north of Old Pasco Rd.), although the restaurant’s gas hookup was completed, the threat of Hurricane Idalia caused additional delays and Jared says that the 225+-unit home of hand-breaded chicken tenders, sandwiches and nuggets (photo) and mason jar desserts is now expecting to open on or around Thursday, September 28. For more information, visit SlimChickens.com. 

Meanwhile, Shuckin’ Shack was previously set to open on Sept. 16, with a special North Tampa Bay Chamber VIP preview expected to take place on Sept. 12. Unfortunately, Shuckin’ Shack suffered similar Hurricane Idalia-related delays as Slim Chickens, but the soft opening — featuring a 15% discount for doctors, nurses, military & first responders — of the North Carolina-based chain’s 20th location is now expected on Monday, September 25. Look for a big photo spread of that opening day in our October 3 edition of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News! Visit TheShuckinShack.com or “Shuckin’ Shack Wesley Chapel” on Facebook for more information.—GN 

Mochinut To Open Two Area Locations! 

When I visited the Mochinut Korean-style donut and rice hot dog (not a misprint) place at 11401 N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace for the first time — to sample what has been announced as coming to the former location of Mahana Fresh on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. — I got a few surprises. 

First of all, the donuts, which are now served at more than 130 locations around the country, and are available in a rotating variety of flavors — from caramel churro (below) to lavender — are light, airy and definitely taste nothing like Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts. The rice flour hot dogs sound…interesting…too, although I’ve yet to sample them. The bigger surprise was that not only is New Tampa getting a Mochinut store, so is the Lutz/Wesley Chapel area across from the Tampa Premium Outlets, as Mochinut also is opening soon in the former Pho 54 Vietnamese restaurant/boba tea location in the same plaza as Mellow Mushroom and Astro Craft Ice Cream.

All Mochinut locations also serve a variety of boba teas, by the way.  Best of all, both new locations are likely to open by about the first week in October. 

For more information, visit or call the Temple Terrace location at (813) 374- 5781 and please tell them that I sent you. Or, visit Mochinut.com.

Remembering 9-11

On Saturday, the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History hosted an event in remembrance of 9-11 where Wesley Chapel resident and retired New York City EMT Stephen Spelman, Dist. 2 Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman, Lt. Col. Perry Blackburn (from the movie “12 Strong”), FDNY Lt. Michael Basignato and Zephyrhills Mayor Melonie Bahr Monson were among the many guest speakers. There also was a Pasco Sheriff’s Office fly-by and multiple sky divers who landed in a nearby field as part of the event.

Read the full story of this 911 event and others in the Oct. 3 edition of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News! 

Nibbles & Bites: Shake Shack To Open In Vacant Former Wendy’s Location On S.R. 56

Locals have been asking for a while what, if anything, is coming to the closed Wendy’s restaurant (photo below) on the north side of S.R. 56 (next to Taco Bell).

We now know that the shuttered former Wendy’s will become the second Tampa Bay-area location of Shake Shack (the photo above is an already popular location in Midtown Tampa), a chain with more than 300 units in 32 U.S. states and more than 170 more everywhere from Mexico City to Singapore.

Started in 2004 at a hot dog cart in New York City’s Madison Square Park, Shake Shack serves Angus beef burgers, crispy chicken, hand-spun milkshakes and house-made lemonade. Beer and wine also are served at most of its locations.

Unlike the Midtown location, the Lutz/Wesley Chapel Shake Shack will be in its own freestanding building. We had no additional information about when it is expected to open at our press time. 

For more information, visit ShakeShack.com.