Category: Wesley Chapel

O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Bahama Breeze Both Closing Local Locations

Anytime businesses — especially restaurants — go out of business in (or near) our distribution areas, I do feel their pain a little — although some more than others.

Case in point: Over the past couple of weeks, both the Bahama Breeze Island Grille (above) located at 25830 Sierra Center Blvd. (across S.R. 56 from the Tampa Premium Outlets) and the O’Brien’s Irish Pub & Grill at 5429 Village Market announced they were closing, albeit for different reasons.

Bahama Breeze, which is owned by Darden Restaurants, is closing all 28 of its remaining locations across the U.S., according to a Feb. 3 Darden news release, after previously shuttering a third of its locations in 2025.

Half of those remaining locations — including the one in Lutz/Wesley Chapel — will be converted to other Darden brands (see below), although it was not disclosed which locations would be converted into which brands.

The other 14 Bahama Breezes will close permanently on April 5. The 14 remaining open, including ten of the 14 in Florida, where the brand first opened in the 1990s, will remain open for the next 12-18 months, although there will likely be some temporary closures along the way, as needed for them to be converted.

The list of Darden brands still operating include a number of more upscale brands that many locals, after first reading about this news on social media, are hopeful will find a home at the location on S.R. 56. Here is that list of possible Darden brands our Bahama Breeze could become:

• Eddie V’s Prime Seafood

• Ruth’s Chris Steak House

• The Capital Grille

• Seasons 52

• Yard House

• Olive Garden Italian Kitchen

• Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen

• Longhorn Steakhouse

• Chuy’s

Of course, Cheddars, Longhorn and Chuy’s all already have locations on S.R. 56 and many of us saw announcements that an undeveloped parcel on Wesley Chapel Blvd. to the east of Chick’n Fun already is supposed to be an Olive Garden. At our press time, however, we were unable to get confirmation as to whether or not Olive Garden is still coming to 27391 Centerline Dr., just west of Gateway Blvd., the plans for which were apparently submitted in Aug. 2025, or whether that location would preclude another Olive Garden being opened in the former Bahama Breeze spot.

Obviously, the first four or five (as most people would probably also be OK with Yard House) Darden brands on the list would be the most desirable to locals, but we will keep you posted on any such announcements.

O’Brien’s To Close February 21!

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post released on Feb. 2, Randy and Mike Goodwin, the owners of the O’Brien’s location in the Village Market (left) for right about 10 years, said that they will be hosting “An Irish Goodbye” party on Saturday, February 21, after which that O’Brien’s location would close permanently, “at the conclusion of our 10-year lease.”

The Facebook post said, “It is with full hearts, deep gratitude, and a touch of sadness that we share the news that O’Brien’s will be closing our doors [by] the end of February…At the end of 2024, the Village Market strip center was sold, and in early 2025, we began discussions with the new ownership (JBL Asset Management) in hopes of securing a renewed lease. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an agreement that felt sustainable for both sides. After much consideration, we made the difficult decision not to renew.”

There has been a huge outpouring of support for O’Brien’s, which has been the only full-band live music venue in Wesley Chapel pretty much since the day it opened, so I’m hoping that hundreds of those supporters will come out to say goodbye to Mike, Randy and their wonderful staff.

The event will feature O’Brien’s “beloved corned beef & cabbage,” as well as bagpipe music from Emma Briggs, Irish music from Captain Kirk and DJ Aloha Kev closing out the event — and the restaurant. It’ s just a shame we couldn’t get one final O’Brien’s St. Patrick’s Day event this year.

For more info about the O’Brien’s “Irish Goodbye” party, see the ad below.-GN

Who Actually Pays For Our Roads? A Primer On Pasco’s Mobility/Impact Fees

Editor’s note — The motivation for writing this story came from a post by Kelly Gilroy on her outstanding Pasco County Development & Growth Updates Facebook page. Former Florida Department of Transportation engineer — and, of course, Neighborhood News correspondent Joel Provenzano agreed that it was worth a deeper dive into what Kelly so perfectly presented. — GN

If you’ve driven around Wesley Chapel lately, you don’t need a traffic study to know one thing: Pasco County is growing fast. New neighborhoods, shopping centers, hospitals and medical offices and industrial parks seem to pop up overnight. With all of that growth comes an obvious question:

Who actually pays for the roads, sidewalks, and transportation infrastructure we all use?

The simple answer, of course, is “all of us,” but one of the biggest pieces of that answer is something called “mobility” (aka “impact”) fees.

What Are Mobility Fees, Anyway?

Mobility fees are one-time charges paid by developers each time a new building permit is issued. These fees help pay for the transportation improvements needed to support new growth, such as:

• New or widened roads

• Turn lanes and intersections

• Sidewalks and bike paths

• Other transportation facilities tied to development

In simple terms: new development helps pay for the new infrastructure it requires — and Pasco County has some of the highest impact fees of any county in Florida.

These fees don’t replace gas taxes or sales taxes, but they work alongside them to fund transportation

It’s also important to note that mobility fees are just one type of impact fee charged on new development in Pasco County. New construction is also subject to school impact fees, which help fund new schools and classroom capacity. And, park impact fees are used for land acquisition and creating new recreational facilities.

Together, transportation, school and park impact fees make up the bulk of the one-time charges paid when new homes and commercial projects are built. When combined, Pasco County’s total impact fee burden is often cited as among the highest in the region, reflecting both its rapid growth and the scale of infrastructure needed to support that growth

Why Are Mobility Fees Going Up?

Construction costs have skyrocketed in recent years. Roadway materials, labor and engineering costs have all increased — often sharply. Because of this, mobility fees have to be periodically updated to reflect the real cost of building roads today, instead of the costs from ten years ago.

Pasco County is allowed to update its mobility fee schedule every four years, and those updates are reviewed and recommended by the county’s Planning Commission, which looks at growth projections, construction costs and long-term transportation needs.

According to the county, Pasco is projected to add approximately 330,000 new residents over the next 20 to 25 years, requiring roughly 950 new lane miles of roads. Even with existing revenue sources, projected funding falls short of the need —which is why mobility fees matter.

How Much $ Are We Talking About?

Here’s a concrete example that helps put things in perspective:

• A single-family home built in Pasco in 2026 will carry a one-time mobility fee of $11,660 that is paid by the builder.

• That money goes into county coffers for roads, sidewalks and transportation facilities.

The fee is paid once — not annually, and not by the homeowner directly at tax time. A common question is whether mobility and other impact fees on new homes are ultimately passed along to homebuyers. While opinions vary, there is little evidence this is happening in today’s market.

In many cases, new-construction homes in Pasco are priced equal to — or even less than —c comparable resale homes, which carry no such fees. Builders are also routinely offering substantial incentives, including covering large portions of closing costs and providing builder-financed mortgages with rates currently as low as 3.99% for 30 years.

Based on current pricing trends and transaction data, impact fees do not appear to be quietly “added back” elsewhere in the deal. As a result, despite these one-time development fees, new construction remains one of the most competitive and accessible options for buyers today.

Why Some Businesses Pay Nothing

This is where things get nuanced — and are often misunderstood by homeowners.

Pasco County doesn’t charge the same mobility fees to every type of development. Instead, it offers incentives to encourage certain kinds of businesses that bring higher-paying jobs and long-term economic growth, including medical & professional offices, industrial, logistics, warehouses, distribution centers and hotels

These uses currently receive a 100% incentive, meaning they pay $0 in mobility fees.

On the other hand, a fast-food restaurant with a drive-through might be charged a mobility fee of around $80,569, because it receives only a 25% incentive.

Why the difference? County officials have been clear about their goal: “Pasco is open for business,” especially for industries that diversify the tax base and bring higher-wage jobs to the county.

Who Covers The Rest Of The Cost?

This is where something called Tax Increment Financing (TIF) comes in.

TIF is often mentioned alongside mobility fees, but they work very differently:

• Mobility fees are one-time payments made upfront by developers.

• TIF uses future property tax growth to fund infrastructure over time.

Pasco County, “locks in” property tax values at a base year (2012 for unincorporated Pasco). As development happens and property values rise, the increase in tax revenue — the “increment” — is set aside.

About 33% of that increment is dedicated specifically to transportation improvements.

Those TIF funds are then used to “buy down” mobility fees for targeted developments like offices, industrial sites and hotels. In other words, the county — and its taxpayers — still funds the roads, but with future tax growth instead of charging those businesses up front for them.

Other Ways Infrastructure Is Built

Mobility fees aren’t the only way roads and infrastructure come online:

• Developers often build roads, turn lanes and/or sidewalks themselves as part of their residential or commercial projects and dedicate them to the county.

• If those improvements benefit more than just the residents of those developments, the developers can apply for mobility fee credits.

• Some communities (including many in Wesley Chapel) are built with Community Development Districts (CDDs) — quasi-governmental entities that maintain roads, sidewalks and landscaping within the developments themselves, rather than the county taking on that responsibility long-term.

This approach shifts some maintenance costs away from the county and onto the developments that directly benefit from them.

Why This Should Matter To You!

At the end of the day, mobility fees are about matching new growth with new infrastructure — and making sure existing residents aren’t left paying the full bill for new development.

Mobility fees are imperfect, complex and often controversial. But without them, Pasco County would face even larger funding gaps, even slower road improvements and even more pressure on general taxes.

As Pasco continues to grow, understanding how these fees work can help you better engage in conversations about development, transportation and the future of our community.

The growth is coming, no matter what. The real question is how we plan and pay for it.

And, most people sitting in traffic every day in Wesley Chapel believe that they are the ones paying for it — and that whatever money is coming in isn’t either not enough or not being spent fast enough to keep up — and no, they’re not wrong.

Impact Fees Mobility Fees roads Wesley Chapel

Wesley Chapel’s Tesla Dealership Is Open, Bringing Sales & Service Closer To Home!

*(Above) The Tesla dealership off I-75 Exit 279 in Wesley Chapel has quietly been open since Oct. 2025. (Photos by Joel Provenzano)*

When the Wesley Chapel Tesla dealership and service center was first announced, it generated plenty of curiosity. But, when it actually opened, there were no balloons, banners, or hoopla. In fact, many local residents are just now realizing that the location has been open on Eagleston Blvd. in Seven Oaks, just east and south of the Wesley Chapel Blvd. exit (Exit 279) off I-75 (between I-75 and Blue Heron Senior Living), next to the new Verve apartments, since October of last year.

According to Tesla representatives, that low-key approach is intentional. There’s no need for fanfare — people will find the brand.

Unlike traditional car dealerships, Tesla locations are entirely corporate owned and operated. There’s no pressure sales model, no commission-driven tactics and no need to lure customers in with promotions.

Everything — from browsing inventory to purchasing a vehicle — is standardized and handled online through Tesla’s website or app. Staffers are on hand primarily to answer questions, guide customers through the digital buying process and offer test drives, including demonstrations of Full Self-Driving for those who are feeling adventurous.

That approach has resonated with local resident Michele Curtin, Broker/Owner of Shells Florida Realty in New Tampa, Michele says the Wesley Chapel location is a welcome addition. “The Tampa location was fine, but the traffic made it a hassle,” Michele says. “Having one so close is a big deal.”

Michele purchased her first Tesla, a Model Y, in 2021. She upgraded to a newer Model Y in June 2025 and says the improvements are noticeable. “Everything that was an issue with my earlier model has been fixed in the latest generation,” she says.

Just a few weeks ago, Michele and her husband Frank added a striking new vehicle to their collection — a Cyberbeast, Tesla’s top-of-the-line Cybertruck. The couple test drove it at the Wesley Chapel location and decided to place their order on site with the help of sales representative Sohil Desai.

“Fantastic service,” Frank says. “It was a great experience.”

Shortly after delivery, the Cyberbeast needed a minor factory repair. Frank brought it back to the dealership and says that the work was completed quickly while he waited. For longer repairs, Tesla offers loaner vehicles.

Service is where the Wesley Chapel location truly stands out. Customers drive directly into a fully air-conditioned building, pulling up next to the service desks to hand over their vehicles — no heat, no rain and no parking lot shuffle.

Behind the scenes is a massive service and detailing area equipped with 24 lifts and space to accommodate roughly twice as many vehicles at once. Inside, a comfortable lounge helps waiting customers pass the time.

Why Tesla?

While Michele admits that Teslas may not match the luxury feel of brands like Lexus — which she was loyal to for years — she says the driving experience and technology more than make up for it. “It’s more utilitarian,” she says, “but the acceleration is unbeatable. It makes pulling into traffic effortless.”

She’s also a fan of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving feature, which she subscribes to for $99 a month. “I could buy it outright (for $8,000),” she says, “but I don’t keep vehicles that long.” For buyers who want to own the feature, Tesla also allows it to be rolled into their financing.

Even more surprising, it can be activated or deactivated by owners — simply by using the app.

Most of Michele’s interactions with Tesla happen through the app, which she says has improved significantly since 2021. “I go through the app for most everything,” she explains, noting the live chat support and smoother service experience. She also has a Tesla wall charger at home. “It’s amazing,” she says. “I plug in at night, and no more gas stations.”

Like many new EV owners, Michele says she did experience a learning curve, especially on longer trips.

“At first,” she says, “I ignored the car when it told me where to stop for charging. I had plenty of charge, but it was planning ahead for me.”

After a few tense moments, she learned just how precise Tesla’s trip estimator is.

“It’s scary accurate,” she laughs, adding that she now trusts it completely.

For those considering a Tesla for the first time, the Wesley Chapel dealership offers Model 3s starting at around $36,000 and Model Ys starting near $40,000. The top-of-the-line Cyberbeast AWD sells for $117,235.

Financing options currently include interest rates as low as 0%-2% on select models. Lease terms also are available for 24-36 months.

Tesla prides itself on a straightforward, no-pressure buying experience, a claim backed up by hundreds of customer reviews. Staffers don’t “need” to sell anything, locals say — they’re there to answer your questions, encourage visitors to sit inside the vehicles, explore the technology and imagine what driving might look like in the future.

The Wesley Chapel Tesla dealership and service center is located at 4980 Eagleston Blvd. It is open Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-8 p.m., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sat. & noon-6 p.m. on Sun. For more information, call (813) 953-4467 or visit Tesla.com.

Tesla Tesla Dealership Wesley Chapel

Wesley Chapel 2026 — Saddlebrook, Fire Station #2, Pinecrest Academy H.S. & More!

*Saddlebrook Resort (Photos by Charmaine George)*

If you were thinking there couldn’t possibly be more “stuff ” coming to Wesley Chapel this year (or at least by early 2027), think again.

Among the projects that are well underway but that we don’t have any kind of timelines for include:

• The completion of Mast Capital’s $92 million improvements to Saddlebrook Resort (above). We showed you the improvements that have already been completed in our last couple of issues, but there is still plenty more to come.

Since the Brew coffee shop and Rare 1981 restaurant opened, the Palm House Grill out by the resort’s revamped Superpool also recently opened. We’ll show you pictures of the Palm House’s food and beverages next issue. We also were told that all 27 holes of Saddlebrook’s golf courses also are open.

Still to come this year? The Sports Tavern off the resort’s lobby and the Saddlebrook National private club for members only. We’ll update you about all of these improvements in future issues.

Here & There, This & That…

Avalon Park — In addition to Phase 2 of Avalon Park’s downtown expected to begin building, Avalon Park Blvd., connecting the community’s single-family subdivisions with the downtown area, could be completed any day now and may even be open as you’re receiving this issue.

In addition, although the existing buildings at the Pinecrest Academy charter school are already serving kids in grades K-11, the separate, new Pinecrest Academy High School will open to grades 9-12 for the 2026-27 year, which will allow kids in Pinecrest Academy’s middle school (Grades 6-8) to have their own building.

Pasco Fire Rescue Station No. 2 — The much-needed new fire station on S.R. 54, less than a mile east of the new AdventHealth Meadow Pointe Emergency Room, should be ready to open before the end of this year.

*New Walmart (Morris Bridge Rd @ S.R. 56)*

New Walmart — Located southwest of the intersection of Morris Bridge Rd. and S.R. 56, Wesley Chapel’s second Walmart store hasn’t broken ground yet, so it’s possible that it may not be completed by the end of 2026, but it should at least begin building this year.

Two Rivers Updates — Even though Two Rivers is all technically located in Zephyrhills (with a portion in Thonotosassa south of the Pasco-Hillsborough county line), the private club to be called The Landing at Two Rivers is well under way and could be completed before the end of 2026. We have no further updates on the planned Peak Surf Park in Two Rivers, but will try to update that story in an upcoming issue. — GN

construction FireStation 2 Pinecrest Academy saddlebrook Wesley Chapel

Moffitt’s Speros Campus Celebrates Outpatient Center’s Grand Opening!

*The Jan. 9 ribbon-cutting event and Grand Opening of the Moffitt Speros Outpatient Center in Land O’Lakes.* (Photos by Charmaine George)

Even though it’s located at least 20 miles from any part of New Tampa, perhaps the biggest news story in Pasco County for 2026 is the opening of the sprawling new 775-acre Speros FL campus of the Moffitt Cancer Center — the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center based in Florida — located on Wilton Way in Land O’Lakes.

The first building to open in this amazing innovation hub, where science, technology and patient care will converge in the fight against cancer, is the 120,000-sq.-ft. Moffitt Speros Outpatient Center, which was introduced to an invited crowd on Jan. 9 with a huge event attended by an estimated 500 people, including Florida Secretary of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, State Senator Danny Burgess, State Rep. Kevin Steele, all five Pasco County Commissioners and 84-year-old former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives H. Lee Moffitt, the man who founded the nonprofit cancer center named for him.

The event included the following speakers:

• Dr. Patrick Hwu, the president & CEO of Moffitt, who noted that 2026 is the cancer center’s 40th anniversary year. Dr. Hwu also played the keyboards in the Speros band following the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He also noted that the next building to open in the Speros campus will be the Richard M. Schulze Proton Center, which will open in just a few months and will be home to one of only three proton radiation machines in Florida. That opening will be followed by the opening of the 100,000-sq.-ft. research center. Dr. Hwu also noted that the first patients will begin being treated at the outpatient center, “within a few weeks.”

*Speros & Moffitt Board members Tim Adams and Marty Lanahan*

• Dr. Josh Carpenter, the president of Speros who also is the VP & chief integration officer of Moffitt and who noted that Speros means “hope.” Dr. Carpenter thanked everyone who played a part — and those still playing a part — in the construction and opening of the many buildings coming to the Speros campus.

• Speros Board chair Marty Lanahan, the executive VP of First Horizon Bank, who introduced Moffitt Cancer Center’s Institute Board chair Tim Adams. Adams said that Lee Moffitt charged him with the task to cure cancer and sent him to Tallahassee in 2005 to talk to Simpson, who was then a State Senator who was going to be the president of the Florida Senate within three years. “Wilton told me that he’s had his eye on Moffitt for a long time,” Adams said, “but if we really want to cure cancer, you’re going to have to start thinking a lot bigger than a 20-acre campus in Tampa.”

• Commissioner Simpson, who said he knew Pasco had the land to “do something like this and that people could fly into Tampa International from all over the world and be here in 30 minutes to get treatment. I’m very proud of the tens of thousands of lives, starting now, that we’re going to be saving on an annual basis. How many grandparents will now get to see their grandchildren get older? How many children are going to be cured? How many moms and dads will see their kids get married because of the work that Moffitt will be doing on this site?”

• H. Lee Moffitt himself, who said, “What a day! The reason we’re here is because of the hard work of every single person in this audience and I can not thank you enough for your dedication, zeal and vision to help us get to where we are today. I would like to thank and applaud the efforts of all of our friends that have worked for us since I started the cancer center 40 years ago and embraced our mission and contributed to the prevention and cure of cancer. By golly, we are making a difference and I appreciate all of your efforts in this quest!”

• The final speaker was Debra Schulze, speaking on behalf of her father Richard M. “Dick” Schulze, the founder of Best Buy Co., the largest electronics store in the U.S. Dick Schulze was unable to attend the event himself, but his family’s foundation supported the Speros Center with a $15-million investment in the campus’ Proton Therapy Center, “which is more than just advanced technology,” Debra Schulze said. “It is a place where skilled clinicians, dedicated researchers and hope-filled patients will come together in the pursuit of healing and progress. On behalf of my father, our family, and our foundation, thank you to the Moffitt leadership and staff. We are proud to stand alongside you and share in the excitement and the impact that this Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Proton Therapy System Center will have on the future of cancer care.”

For more information about Moffitt’s Speros Outpatient Clinic and the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Proton Center (16370 Wilton Way, Land O’Lakes), visit Moffitt.org.

Debra Schulze Josh Carpenter Marty Lanahan Moffitt Moffitt Cancer Center Patrick Hwu Speros Wesley Chapel