Sarasota-Based Food + Beer To Open In Former Shuckin’ Shack Location

For those who have been wondering what might be taking over the space at 25026 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Lutz, previously occupied by Shuckin’ Shack (just west of the Tampa Premium Outlets and Costco, in the same small strip plaza as Chicken Salad Chick and Ann’s Nail Spa), you can stop wondering! 

The location, with an entrance off of the Wesley Chapel Blvd. extension just south of S.R. 56, is being taken over by Sarasota-based mini-chain Food + Beer and, best of all, the scratch kitchen with full liquor bar should be open by the time this issue reaches your mailbox! 

According to a news release we received just before we went to press with this issue, “Food + Beer’s story started back in the early 2000s, when co-founders Mike Whalen and Casey Daniels first crossed paths working in restaurants — Mike as a server and Casey as a kitchen manager. 

“What began as a solid working relationship turned into a real friendship, and eventually a shared dream: to create a place that serves up seriously good, scratch-made food in a laid-back, welcoming atmosphere. In 2018, they brought that vision to life in Sarasota’s Gulf Gate neighborhood, and it quickly took off. 

“Today, the brand has grown into a local favorite (with seven current locations — two in Bradenton, three in Sarasota, one in Venice and one in Lakeland) and is known for good food, good people, and laid back vibes — now expanding across the Gulf Coast with more locations on the way, including Ellenton and West Tampa coming in 2026.” 

The newest Food + Beer will seat 150 guests and, “Just like every Food + Beer, the kitchen is scratch-made, serving food until 1 a.m. (or later) — a welcome spot for those in the hospitality industry to grab a bite or a drink after a late shift. Guests can dig into house staples like fresh-cut fries, hand-breaded boneless nuggets, specialty burgers, and the flavorful Korean Beef Bowl — alongside creative comfort food with a twist, like Red Velvet Chicken & Waffles during brunch or Crab Rangoon Mozzarella Sticks that hit all the right notes.” 

Food + Beer keeps things lively all week long with daily lunch specials starting at $8, plus the following lineup of weekly events and deals: 

• Burger Monday – Cheeseburger + fresh-cut fries for $6.99 

• Taco Tuesday – A variety of taco options with a side of chips and pico, as well as a build-your-own margarita menu 

• Trivia Wednesday – Starts at 6:30 p.m. 

• 89¢ Wing Thursday – Everyone’s favorite weekly tradition 

• Weekend Brunch – Featuring a build-your-own bottomless mimosa bar every Sat. & Sun. 

Plus, “to keep things fresh, the team rolls out a seasonal menu four times a year, spotlighting new, scratch-made dishes and limited-time cocktails, paired with a signature cocktail list and a rotating selection of local beers. 

The restaurant will feature an outdoor patio, a TV wall — perfect for catching the big game — and many more TVs. 

We stopped in to check out the progress on the new Wesley Chapel/Lutz location, and it already looked a lot like the finished product shown here, so we decided just to show you the photo provided by Food + Beer above. 

“Were excited to join the neighborhood!,” Food + Beer director of marketing Cassi Knapik told me. We can’t wait to check it out either, Cassi! 

For more info, visit eatfoodrinkbeer.com or @foodand.beer on social media. — GN, all photos provided by Food + Beer 

Linda Is Back At The New & Improved Bagels Of Wesley Chapel!

When you visit Bagels of WC, say hi to (l.-r.) Cheyanne, Liani, David, Sierra, Linda & Wayne. 

You may have heard that Linda Henry (you may remember her last name as Carr, however) is back at her former location in the Freedom Plaza at 30032 S.R. 54, which is now called Bagels of Wesley Chapel (WC). 

The former owner of Bagelicious & More in the same location is happy to bring a renewed energy, revitalized interior and especially, house-made bagels that are now boiled before they are baked. 

“Do you see how big and fluffy the bagels are now?,” Linda asked as I enjoyed my over-easy eggs, crispy bacon and equally crispy homefries (above left) with a toasted poppy seed bagel (that actually came with the breakfast and was indeed bigger and fluffier than I remembered), all for just $8.95! 

Charmaine also raved about her chicken salad melt with provolone cheese and fresh tomato on a hashbrown bagel (bottom), served with a side of pasta salad (or fries, potato salad or, for $1 more, a bag of chips). 

This was actually my second visit to the new Bagels of WC, where Linda now has pretty much her entire family working (top photo). On my first visit, I had an equally tasty bacon, egg & cheese on a toasted, scooped-out sesame bagel (for just $6.49!). 

Bagels of WC, which features more than a dozen varieties of fresh bagels (for only $14.99 for a Baker’s Dozen of 13; or $21.99 with two 8-oz. tubs of spreads) also serves omelettes, a selection of deli sandwiches and lots of smiles. 

Bagels of WC is open every day, 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m. For info, call (813) 575-8300 (DoorDash delivery is available) & tell Linda we sent you.”—GN 

Ziggi’s Coffee Plans Hueland Pond Blvd. Location

Ziggi’s Coffee Drive-Thru has updated its permit application, which previously announced that the growing coffee chain was going to open on Mansfield Blvd. 

But, new plans now show that Ziggi’s will instead open on Hueland Pond Blvd., just south of S.R. 56 and the 76 gas station and Daybreak Market (see map, left). 

The new permit application announcing this different location was just submitted last month. Preliminary site engineering plans have been submitted for Pasco County’s review, which say: 

“The project proposes the development of a new 1,800+/- sq. ft. coffee shop with a drive through, associated parking and drainage improvements.” 

Ziggi’s Coffee currently has about 100 locations in 18 U.S. states, but only one other location — in St. Augustine — currently open in Florida . The company is in a rapid growth phase, however, with more than 200 additional Ziggi’s Coffee locations now in development. For more info, visit ZiggisCoffee.com. — Joel Provenzano & GN 

BayCare Wesley Chapel Hospital Hosts Pet Blessing & Coffee Social Events

Photos by Charmaine George

Our friends at BayCare Wesley Chapel (WC) Hospital (4501 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) continue to engage the community so that as many people as possible can get to know the nearly three-year-old, 86-bed hospital. 

On Oct. 6, BayCare WC Chaplain Reid Isenhart (at left in top photo) hosted a Pet Blessing event, in honor of the Feast Day for the Catholic Patron Saint of the animals, St. Francis of Assisi. “We always strive to set high standards for compassionate care for people, Chaplin Reid said, “but we also like to recognize the gift of our animals, including the therapy animals who come to the hospital.” 

With nearly two dozen animals in attendance — including two young piglets, a chicken and a bunny brought by “Connected City” resident Michael Pultorak (left) — Chaplain Reid said, “Research shows that pet owners consider their pets to be full family members. Today, we also have animals who assist us not just emotionally, but also with sight and sound and to recognize seizures and even cancer, so we bless them all.” 

Then on Oct. 15, BayCare WC hosted a North Tampa Bay Chamber Coffee Social (photo, right), where the hospital’s director of operations Bill Sedey gave attendees more info about the hospital: “This hospital features a 20-bed emergency room, a 12-bed intensive care unit, helipad for transporting critical patients, all private rooms and a great partnership with the under-construction YMCA next door.” Other hospital staffers also made presentations about BayCare WC’s imaging center, staffing and more. 

For more info, visit BayCare.org. For upcoming Chamber events, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com.events. — GN

Wiregrass Ranch Updates On Publix, New Apartments, Medical Offices & Restaurants?

By Gary Nager & Joel Provenzano 

Rendering of the resort-style pool at the under-construction Arcadia at Wiregrass Ranch apartments. (Rendering from ThirdLakeDevelopment.com) 

It seems that there’s never a shortage of news coming out of Wiregrass Ranch these days, so we always try to check in with developer JD Porter and his development right hand man, Scott Sheridan, the chief operating officer of Locust Branch, LLC, to get the latest news. 

After all, the 5,000-acre Wiregrass Ranch already has The Shops at Wiregrass mall, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel Hospital, the Porter Campus of Pasco Hernando State College, more than 3,000 single-family homes (and townhomes) and 1,400 rental apartment units. 

Wiregrass Ranch also is home to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, The Beach House assisted living community, Florida Cancer Specialists (FCS), Moffitt Cancer Center and North Tampa Behavioral Health, and coming soon are the Florida Medical Clinic Orlando Health Wiregrass Ranch Hospital, two Orlando Health-owned medical office buildings totalling 150,000 sq. ft., a PAM Health Rehabilitation Hospital and two additional medical office buildings that Wiregrass Ranch will develop in partnership with Flagship Healthcare Properties, and what Porter says will one day be Wesley Chapel’s true downtown — The Legacy at Wiregrass Ranch. 

Publix could soon begin building its new location east of Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. earlier this year. Map locations: 1-Chili’s, 2-Chase Bank, 3-Bank of Amer., 4-Advance Auto Parts, 5-Sweet Nail Spa, Mathnasium, Pizza Hut & Starbucks (Map from Publix plans submitted to Pasco County, modified by NN). 

One of the big things people keep asking me (and online) is about the new Publix planned for the east side of Wiregrass Ranch Blvd., just north and east of Walmart (see map above left) on a 9.5-acre site appraised at $3.97 million. 

Of that 48,848-sq.-ft. Publix (with a 2,100-sq.-ft. liquor store), which is being built in front of the newest apartment community — Arcadia at Wiregrass Ranch — the main thing most people want to know is whether or not the opening of that new Publix will cause the existing store in the Hollybrook Plaza (less than a half-mile away) to close. Neither Sheridan nor Porter would address that question directly, but Sheridan says, “Final permitting [of the new Publix] is under way now, and I expect them to break ground by early next year. We have no direct knowledge of [Publix’s] intent to close the old store when they build the new one.” The site plan for the new Publix shows its main entrance lining up directly opposite the northern entrance to Walmart. 

Although most people appear to agree that it seems a little crazy to have two Publixes located so close to each other, we have heard some online chatter that says the Hollybrook Publix will definitely close, while others say that it definitely won’t close. Without confirmation either way from Publix or the Wiregrass Ranch team, it seems ludicrous to me to speculate either way. 

But, speaking of Publix, Porter did mention the possibility of another link in the Lakeland-based supermarket chain coming to the area near the new FCS building on S.R. 56, but Sheridan cautioned that although he had seen a post on Facebook that a preapplication meeting had been scheduled, “there has been nothing from us directly on this.” 

Also important to note is that if another Publix is coming to S.R. 56 in Wiregrass Ranch, that possible location is not the Publix planned for the front of the Two Rivers development five miles or so further to the east on 56. 

In the meantime, the Arcadia at Wiregrass Ranch apartments have not yet gone vertical, but the 15-acre parcel (valued at $7.04 million) has been cleared to build the 320-unit luxury rental community and its resort-style pool, EV charging stations and more, which will be the seventh Arcadia project (and the third in Florida) for Tampa-based Third Lake Development. 

As for the planned medical offices near the Orlando Health hospital, Sheridan says that the first 46,000-sq.-ft. Wiregrass Ranch Medical Pavilion (rendering above), in partnership with Flagship Healthcare Properties, is getting ready to break ground before the end of this year. 

“The second phase will move forward once the initial building is completed and fully leased,” Sheridan says. 

As for the two Florida Medical Clinic/ Orlando Health medical office buildings (MOBs), Sheridan says, “The hospital is expected to open by April of 2026. We expect the MOBs would be under construction soon but can’t say for sure. They are just now completing all of the site work for both of those.” 

Sheridan also said that Wiregrass Ranch is, “coordinating with Mast Capital on their requirement to build the Bypass Loop road within Wiregrass Ranch from S.R. 54 to Wiregrass Ranch Blvd.” as part of Mast’s redevelopment of Saddlebrook Resort (see pg. 44). “But we are not engaged or aware of their developments within the resort.” 

New Restaurants? Although the rumor mill has said that The Tilted Kilt, a Winghouse/ Hooters-style sports pub could be the still-unnamed restaurant planned for next to Cooper’s Hawk, Porter told me that although they have had discussions with The Tilted Kilt, it definitely will not be the restaurant built next to Cooper’s Hawk. 

Meanwhile, Sheridan says, “We are working on several upscale restaurants along the S.R. 56 corridor including next to Cooper’s Hawk, which, we are told, is consistently the #1 or #2 restaurant in that chain.” 

But of course, perhaps the most anticipated development in Wiregrass Ranch is The Legacy, which Porter keeps saying will be the only “true” downtown development in Wesley Chapel, and which will tie together everything already built and still planned for the Porter family’s sprawling cattle ranch. So, is there any Legacy news? 

“We are exploring that now with potential partners but have not committed any timing yet,” Sheridan says. 

To be continued.