By Matt Wiley
If everything ends up going according to plan, as of May 7, Pasco County should have become the proud new owner of nearly 140 acres of land inside the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI), donated by the Porter family, which owns the 5,000-acre DRI in the heart of Wesley Chapel.Continue reading
By Matt Wiley
After three nights in the New Tampa woods, local hunters have helped put a dent in the wild hog population in the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve, located east of I-75 and north of U.S. 301.Continue reading
The latest &greatest news about dining, shopping, retail and more in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.
Although former Tampa Palms Ciccioās Lodge managing partner Robert Garofano couldnāt confirm anything about his restaurant reopening in the same space, we do know for certain that the World of Beer (WoB) in the Shoppes at The Pointe plaza in Tampa Palms is closing ā and could already be closed as early as the day you receive this issue in your mailboxes.
The WoB anchor space in this difficult plaza with limited parking and tiny parking spaces (which originally was expected to be an Old Chicago restaurant) has been through a few different incarnations since the plaza opened five or so years ago, but WoB definitely seemed to be the most successful endeavor in that location, especially considering how successful some of the other WoB locations are (including the two nearest to us now.
Garofano says that the Ciccioās management group, which also owns multiple successful restaurants in South Tampa (including Water sushi restaurant, Daily Eats, The Lodge, The Lime and Ciccioās), has been looking at the WoB space, but at our press time, no announcement was imminent.
We hope youāll check our website, NTNeighborhoodNews.com, for updates about Ciccioās, a possible new location for Sushi Tsu Japanese restaurant and other same-day dining news. If we get any finalized, announce-able dining info before our next issue hits your mailboxes, we will make it our āNews Item of the Dayā on our website, so stay tuned!
Although, at our press time, no formal announcement had been made, despite our efforts to reach the owners, we have been told by a reliable source that the Coffee Beanery CafƩ in the same Shoppes at The Pointe plaza also was getting ready to close.
We also know that the Beanery hasnāt replaced its broken espresso machine for several months (not a good sign for a coffee shop) and I personally was on hand at the Beanery more than once (because Iām a fan) when the space was being shown by Realtors to possible new tenants during regular business hours, which isnāt good for business if a place plans to stay open. But, weāll keep you posted.
Although a few of us miss having a Krispy Kreme Donuts shop at the corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and DoƱa Michelle Dr., just north of I-75, thereās no doubt that the new BB&T (Branch Banking & Trust Co.) Bank that recently opened in the space previously occupied by Krispy Kreme, is already proving to be a great community partner.
Despite the rain that usually accompanies winterās cold fronts, annual rainfall in our area still is well below normal levels. Due to the lack of precipitation, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (aka Swiftmud) has increased its water restrictions across Tampa Bay ā New Tampa and Wesley Chapel included.Continue reading
By Gary Nager
Sorry, This Time, I Got It Wrong On Lee Roy Selmonās
Unfortunately, we havenāt been able to get confirmation about whether or not MVPāHoldings Tampa, the parent company of Lee Roy Selmonās, has been negotiating on a different piece of property on S.R. 56 than the one we reported in our last issue, but what we do know is that Selmonās is not coming to that site.Continue reading