In the Dec 10 issue of New Tampa Neighborhood News (see below), we said that both Shake Shack and Chicken Guy! Were expected to open by one day this weekend, but as of today, both restaurants have told us that the expected openings of both fast casual eateries is now not expected until one day next week, with exact opening dates not yet set by either one until they receive their Certificates of Occupancy from Pasco County, pending final inspections.
Stay tuned to our Facebook page and the December 24 Wesley Chapel and January 7, 2025, New Tampa issues of Neighborhood News for updated opening dates for these hotly anticipated eateries.
Chicken Guy! & Shake Shack Both Expected To Open On Or Around December 13-14!
The long-awaited opening of the Tampa Bay area’s first-ever Chicken Guy location was scheduled at our press time on or around Saturday, December 14 (please check our “Neighborhood News” Facebook page regularly for a more precise opening date). Chicken Guy (top photo), founded by celebrity chef Guy Fieri and restaurateur Robert Earl, currently has a dozen locations, going up quickly to 18, including our “Cypress Creek” location at 25769 Sierra Center Blvd.
The “Mayor of Flavortown” menu features hot and “O.G.” mild crispy (or grilled) chicken tenders (and “Big Bite” sandwiches), plus salads, fries, American slaw, mac & cheese and shakes (sound familiar?), although it does also sometimes feature “Limited Time” offers — such as pepperoni chicken parm sandwiches and chopped cheese & chicken egg rolls, fried chicken dumplings and more. The “Boss of Sauce” also offers everything from Nashville hot honey to avocado crema and many more sauces created by the Chicken Guy himself!
Now with an expected opening on or around Friday, December 13, less than a 1/4-mile from Chicken Guy, is the Wesley Chapel/Lutz location of Shake Shack, in the former slot occupied by Wendy’s, at 25600 Sierra Center Blvd. (photo left). In addition to its variety of burgers — from black truffle to avocado bacon — as well as 100% Vienna® beef hot dogs, Shake Shack also offers (surprise!) crispy chicken sandwiches and bites, crinkle cut fries and shakes (including limited time shakes like Christmas Cookie and Apple Cider Donut), but with the added bonus of vanilla or chocolate frozen custard, which also can be included in your root beer or Creamsicle® float.
For more info, call (813) 696-6752 or visit ShakeShack.com. — GN
Dr. Brian Wilson of Tampa Palms Psychology is happy to offer consultations inside his office in the Tampa Palms Professional Center (above) or virtually vis Telehealth (photo below). (Photos by Charmaine George)
Because his Tampa Palms Psychology — the practice of Brian Wilson, Ph.D. — continues to grow, Dr. Wilson recently moved to the Tampa Palms Professional Center off of Commerce Palms Blvd. just south and west of the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. exit off I-75.
The new office is just a half-mile from his previous workspace, where patients met with Dr. Wilson in a private room at a co-working office. He made the move to the new space in April.
“It’s a very quiet, warm, upscale and relaxing environment, right on a lake,” Dr. Wilson says, adding that while he enjoyed his previous location and the opportunity it gave him to grow, it’s nice to have a more personal and permanent space.
“I have my own dedicated office now,” he says. “I designed it myself. It’s a better space, with better furniture, and much homier.”
He says he’s had his eye on the Tampa Palms Professional Center for many years, but when he opened his practice in 2021, the Covid pandemic made virtual or Telehealth sessions the norm, instead of in-person visits, so it didn’t make sense for him to have a full-time office at that time.
Now, many people prefer to meet with Dr. Wilson in person, although he says about half of his patients still choose to meet virtually. “I let my patients decide,” he says. “Some providers are insisting on in-person and others on Telehealth, but I do whatever works for my patients.”
He says he has some patients who are disabled or have other reasons why they can’t leave the house, so he’s happy to meet with them via private, secure videoconferencing.
Dr. Wilson has been practicing since 2003 and now has two decades of experience. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Psychology from the University of Florida in Gainesville and earned both his Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. He also completed a psychology residency at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Hospital.
Whether you meet him in person or online, Dr. Wilson helps adults navigate life’s difficulties, especially when it comes to job stress, relationship problems, depression, anxiety, or any number of other issues.
“I have the benefit of having worked in a variety of settings, so I feel comfortable taking on a lot of things,” he says. He considers himself to be a generalist who can address a wide variety of concerns with adults. He does not, however, counsel anyone under the age of 18.
He commonly helps people who are experiencing PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and has years of experience helping military veterans.
Dr. Wilson also is experienced in helping those who have serious or life-changing medical issues and are learning to cope with a new reality, as well as the mental health problems that develop as a result.
Another area of expertise for Dr. Wilson is geriatrics — helping older adults. This could be people who are caring for a spouse who is ill, or those who are realizing that the transition into retirement is not what they thought it would be.
His two decades of experience include primary care and community mental health, psychiatric patients in mental health facilities, residential and outpatient PTSD treatment, geriatric mental health and health psychology. Dr. Wilson is licensed to practice psychology in both Florida and Minnesota, and is a member of the American Psychological Association.
He says the best approach for those who are beginning the search for a trusted therapist is still to get a recommendation from a friend or family member. “That’s probably the best referral you can get,” he says.
But if you don’t have a word-of-mouth reference from someone you know, he says to do an online search, choose a few therapists, try to talk to a few of them and “go with your gut.”
He says that, of course, you should always check with the Florida Department of Health to be sure the provider you want to work with is appropriately licensed and has no disciplinary actions or malpractice claims.
This can be done by searching “Florida Department of Health License Lookup” online.
“Beyond that, those of us [practitioners] who are thoughtful will always be happy to schedule a no-charge, no-commitment phone call to see if we’re a good fit,” he says. “Don’t schedule with someone without at least first having a conversation about their approach.”
While Dr. Wilson says he is primarily a private pay provider, he does accept patients with original Medicare and will provide a receipt to anyone who needs to submit an out-of-network receipt to their insurance company. He says some insurance companies, but not all, will cover about 50 percent of the cost of treatment.
Fellow professional therapist Dr. Brian Doane of Tampa Bay Counseling Services is quick to say that he thinks very highly of Dr. Wilson and doesn’t hesitate to recommend him — for example, if he has a patient whose spouse needs counseling, too.
“If I’m working with someone and they say, ‘My spouse is looking for a therapist,’ he’s the first person I send them to,” Dr. Doane says, noting that it’s an important referral, since Dr. Doane will continue working with that person’s spouse and has a vested interest in both parties getting good help.
“Dr. Wilson is super compassionate, very ethical, and all the things that you want in a therapist,” Dr. Doane says. “He also has a really nice balance between being very kind and compassionate, while also being assertively direct. He also knows the timing of when to be direct, providing honest feedback at a time when the person is able to receive it.”
Tampa Palms Psychology is located at 5331 Primrose Lake Cir., Suite 245, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center. For appointments with Dr. Brian Wilson and more information about the practice, call (813) 491- 9343 or visit TampaPalmsPsychology.com.
The North Tampa Bay Chamber has had a busy week. On Tuesday, the Chamber introduced its new Board of Directors for 2025. President & CEO Hope Kennedy gave Board member Jamie Hess of Computer Emergency Room her President’s Award for “all of his help with events and finding the Chamber a new office, in addition to his regular Board duties.” And, outgoing Board chair Roberto Hiller of Signarama New Tampa gave Lisa Moore his “Chairman’s Award” for her “outstanding commitment to the Board.” Also introduced on Tuesday were new Board Chair Angelique Lenox of Tampa Family Health and her entire 2025 Board:
Chair Elect Ton Benge of Benge Development
Treasurer Jamie Hess of Computer Emergency Room
Vice-Chair of Economic Development Chad Emory of Emorys Rock Realty
Vice-Chair of Membership Lisa Moore of Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel
Vice-Chair of Governmental Affairs Jennifer Batchelor of Pasco County Schools
Immediate Past Chair Roberto Hiller of Signarama New Tampa
Will Atkins of Cinn-Credible Cinnamon Packets
Tye Fowler of SGD Communications
Ryan Fink of Volkswagen of Wesley Chapel
Dr. Davina Jones of Pasco Hernando State College-Porter Campus
Justin Keeney of Fifth Third Bank
Richrd Matte of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel
Jean Carlo Penaloza of Cat’s Meow Tampa Photography
Albert Verile of Sharpline Investigations
Ralph Sevelius of Boardwalk Wealth Solutions
Chuck Sullivan of McFarland Gould Law
Troy Stevenson of Tampa Bay Mobile Billboards
Then, on Thursday, the Chamber announced its Finalists for its 2024 Celebrating Excellence Awards:
Integrity Award — Main Event Wesley Chapel, Pepin Academies & Scenthound Lutz
Collaboration Award — San Antonio Federal Credit Union, New Tampa Family YMCA & Metropolitan Ministries
Inclusivity Award — Main Event Wesley Chapel, Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel & Turner Construction
The 2024 Chamber Award winners will be announced at the Chamber’s Celebrating Excellence Awards event on Tuesday, January 16, 2025, at the Pasco Hernando State College Performing Arts Center (8657 Old Pasco Rd., Wesley Chapel 33544). The cost to attend is $60 per person. For more info, call (813) 994-8534 or visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com.
Dr. Sam Jureyda welcomes the local community to his Radiance Orthodontics, located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, off the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. exit off I-75. (Photo provided by Dr. Jureyda)
Two decades ago, about 85 percent of dentists owned their own practices, but times have changed drastically.
The New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas have not escaped the national trend of more dental and orthodontic offices being owned by corporations, instead of the practitioners themselves.
But, Sam Jureyda, DMD, says he’s not interested in selling his Radiance Orthodontics, although he frequently gets offers from corporations wanting to buy his practice.
“Dr. J,” as his patients call him, opened Radiance Orthodontics more than eight years ago to provide orthodontic treatments for kids, teens and adults, primarily using braces and Invisalign aligners to move teeth and correct bites. The practice is located in the Tampa Palms Professional Center off of the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. exit off I-75, near the New Tampa Recreation Center.
When patients visit Radiance Orthodontics, they always see Dr. Jureyda personally. He enjoys getting to know the families who entrust their care to him, and considers his patients to be family.
“In an era of big box stores,” Dr. Jureyda explains, “we’re still a mom-and-pop.”
He says he wouldn’t even consider giving up the time he spends caring for each individual in his practice in order to meet the demands of corporate dentistry.
“We value the relationship we build with our patients,” Dr. J says.
Before moving into private practice in 2006, and subsequently opening Radiance Orthodontics in 2016, Dr. Jureyda taught graduate-level orthodontics at the University of Buffalo, NY. Prior to that, he earned a Doctorate of Dental Medicine (DMD) from the Boston University School of Dental Medicine, a Certificate of Specialty in Orthodontics from the Howard University College of Dentistry in Washington, DC, and completed a clinical fellowship in Orthodontics from the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Department of Orthodontics.
His education includes years of studying facial biology and growth dynamics, and his practice has allowed him to treat all types of patients, even those with the most complicated orthodontic needs.
He’s also pleased to have been recognized again in 2024 by Tampa Magazine as one of the Tampa Bay area’s top dentists, as voted on by dentists across the region.
His peers have recognized that his education and experience make him one of the area’s best.
His commitment to private practice allows him to maintain a lower volume of patients and spend more time with each person who comes in, which means that patients at Radiance Orthodontics get customized care from an orthodontist who is invested in them personally, whether they choose treatment via traditional braces or Invisalign aligners.
“There are so many factors that go into a decision about an appliance that you may wear for 18 months or more,” says Dr. Jureyda. “I am always happy to go over all of that information so that you can make the right choice about the treatment plan that is best for you.”
These days, general dentists are more frequently also offering aligners. But, Dr. J offers a deeper understanding of the dentofacial orthopedics involved in aligning teeth and jaws over a lifetime, whether it’s during the early years of childhood growth or even in older adults.
Getting a second opinion from Dr. Jureyda is completely free and may provide additional avenues for treatment or a lower cost than other options.
“We’re seeing so much inflation right now, which is stretching families,” says Dr. Jureyda. “Radiance Orthodontics is a small business and we are in touch with what’s happening in our community. We try to walk that fine line between meeting the demands of running a business and keeping our fees affordable and payments flexible for our patients.”
He promises reasonable fees that avoid the need for coupons or complex payment structures.
He suggests that anyone who wants to learn more about his practice search “Radiance Orthodontics” for his online Google reviews. All 160+ of the office’s reviews on Google are five stars and speak to the way Dr. J cares for his patients.
Nicole Shuts moved to New Tampa about two years ago. Her sons already had braces, so she needed to find an orthodontist to continue their care. She says the first one she went to “didn’t feel quite right,” so she kept looking and ultimately found Radiance Orthodontics.
“As soon as I walked in and met Dr. J, I was really impressed with his demeanor,” she says. “He’s very calm, very intelligent, he knew exactly what problems my sons were facing, and his recommendations were conservative, but on point with what we needed.”
She says one son’s bite was really bad and his molars weren’t even touching. She wanted to bring him to Dr. Jureyda, but she also wanted to double-check her instincts, so she conferred with her son’s previous orthodontist.
“I told her about the people we interviewed and their proposals,” Nicole explains, “and she steered me toward what I was feeling, which made me super happy because at that point I liked Dr. J already.”
Nicole says the proof is in the results.
“It’s a joy to me that he can chew his food better,” she says of her son. “It’s been two years and we’re very happy. We wouldn’t change anything.”
Nicole also is happy with her other son’s treatment, and appreciates that Dr. J sees her youngest daughter every few months to see if it’s time to start treatment for her yet, as well. Those ongoing consultations are complimentary, as Dr. J keeps an eye on her growth.
“I really appreciate that,” Nicole says. “I know he’s trustworthy and he’s not pushy.”
Carmen Mitchell and her 15-year-old daughter, Kali, are both in treatment with Dr. Jureyda. Carmen explains she didn’t have braces as a child and her deep bite was causing breakage in her teeth. To prevent further breakage, her dentist recommended Invisalign. And although the dentist gave her a fair price for those aligners, she didn’t feel that the office was fully prepared for the details of the specialty treatment.
But, it was totally different when she saw Dr. Jureyda for a free consultation.
“He’s very knowledgeable and gets to know you as a patient,” she says, “and then he makes sure the service he’s providing is tailored to you.”
When her daughter’s dentist suggested an orthodontic evaluation, she knew she would bring her to Dr. Jureyda, too.
“I like the way he talks to her as the patient,” Carmen adds. “She’s involved in her own care, which is important.”
Supporting The Community, Too
As a former educator, Dr. Jureyda makes it a high priority to support students and educators in our community, and Carmen says she wants to support Radiance so he can continue to do so.
Not only is Radiance Orthodontics a long-term business partner of all of New Tampa’s public schools (and some Wesley Chapel schools, as well), he also awards scholarships each spring to a graduating senior at both Wharton and Freedom high schools. These scholarships recognize students who have demonstrated a commitment to serving the community through volunteering. Last year, he also offered scholarships to seniors at King and Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate high schools.
“I often recommend people go to Radiance,” Carmen says. “I tell them, ‘Go, get a quote. You’ll probably fall in love with Dr. J and the staff while you’re there.’”
Radiance Orthodontics offers Invisalign and braces for kids, teens and adults of all ages. To schedule a free consultation, text or call (813) 972-1100. For more information about the practice, located at 17427 Bridge Hill Court, Suite A, in the Tampa Palms Professional Center or visit MyRadianceBraces.com.
(l-r) Coopers Hawk Churrasco Steak and Azteca D’Oro Taquito
Meanwhile, Wesley Chapel is where chain eateries continue to dominate the landscape, as well as our voting (despite my best efforts to get our readers to vote for non-chains).
But, while Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant did mistakenly appear on the ballots for the first issue of the voting, it was so dominant in the voting after it came off the ballots that it would still have been #1 “Favorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel” without that one-issue advantage. Anyone who has been to the place on a Tuesday or Wednesday night, when it is still on a wait throughout its dinner hours, can understand how Cooper’s Hawk took home this year’s top prize in WC in its first year of eligibility.
Azteca D’Oro and Grillsmith repeated as our readers’ #2 and #3 Favorites in WC, while last year’s first-place finisher, Noble Crust, dropped to #4 this year. New to this year’s top-10 were Vallarta’s at #5 (up from #12), Mac’s Custom Meats & Deli at #7, Florida Ave. Brewing Co. at #8 (up from #16) and Chuck Lager at #9. Dropping out of this year’s top-10 were Zukku-San (down from #5 to #11), Bubba’s 33 (down from #10 to #19), Bonefish, BJ’s Brewhouse and Bahama Breeze (down from #8 to #17). The last four of these are all chains that weren’t on the ballots. — GN
If everyone in Wesley Chapel is so sick of chain restaurants, then how and why did Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant dominate the voting in this year’s Reader Dining Survey & Contest?
The answer to that rhetorical question is that all of you are tired of mediocre chains and although Cooper’s Hawk isn’t Fleming’s, Charley’s or Ruth’s Chris, it is definitely a step up from most of the other chains in the “Chap.” It boasts a solid menu of very good steaks, good seafood, pretty decent pasta and a nice variety of starters, lunch and brunch menu items.
When you add to that the novelty of getting to taste an ever-changing array of palate-pleasing wines in Cooper’s Hawk’s wine bar (although I wish there were seats in it, or at least allowed), it’s easy to understand why locals are fighting for tables there every night. We’ll see how long the party lasts, but so far, so good.
It’s clear that last year’s top-vote-getting newcomer did not suffer a sophomore jinx with our readers this year, as Azteca D’Oro repeated as your #2 overall Favorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel and again won Favorite Mexican Restaurant in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel, albeit by a much smaller margin than last year.
With tasty menu items like chicken taquitos (top), plus a huge variety (above pic from DoorDash) of authentic Mexican favorites like fajitas, molcajete, burritos, tacos and quesadillas, plus beautiful indoor & outdoor bar areas with great Happy Hour specials, Azteca D’Oro also features a private room that is the perfect place to host your holiday party with its lively music and festive atmosphere.
Grillsmith is always among our readers’ favorites every year and repeated last year’s #3 “Favorite in Wesley Chapel” finish again this year. This five-unit mini-chain continues to serve quality fresh fish (photo), plus assortments of flatbreads, salads, steaks, burgers, chicken and pasta options that keep our readers coming back for more. It also is a popular weekend brunch spot with everything from bananas Foster French toast to chicken & waffles Benedict.
Even though it was bumped down to #4 Favorite this year by our readers after a two-year run in the top spot, Noble Crust’s “Deep South Italian” fare continues to garner lots of attention, as well as votes (even though it fell short of making this year’s “Favorite Pizza” list). With unusual entrées like bronzed salmon (photo), chicken fried chicken parm, bucatini & meatballs & Cajun shrimp risotto, Noble Crust also claims to feature the “Best Brunch in Wesley Chapel.”
Whenever you see people in a local online community ask for recommendations for a great Mexican restaurant, roughly half the people highly recommend Vallarta’s, while the other half say “it’s gross.”
Those who love it point to the restaurant’s huge menu with even bigger portions (like the burrito shown here) at the best prices of any true Mexican restaurant in Wesley Chapel. We guess those folks helped Vallarta’s jump from #12 “Favorite WC Restaurant” with our readers last year to #5 Fave in 2024.
Although a lot of online community members complain vehemently about its 20% service charge, our readers still kept The Living Room in the same #6 “Favorite in Wesley Chapel” spot it occupied last year.
That means that a lot of our readers care more about dishes like the Bobby Boucher pasta shown here, sautéed red grouper, “You Bet…Churrasco” and adobo braised pork osso bucco than they do about having to pay the service fee. The Living Room also is another local brunch favorite.
7. Mac’s Custom Meats & Deli
26316 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Grand Oaks Plaza, Lutz
(813)428-6573
It seems like there’s at least one restaurant that seems to come out of nowhere to crack the top-10 with our readers every year.
This year’s surprise is Mac’s Custom Meats & Deli. Although we also enjoy Mac’s quality sandwiches (photo), it’s still really more of a meat market than a restaurant, but whether it made this year’s list because of ballot-stuffing or because enough people really love it this much likely won’t be known until next year’s Reader Survey.
Jumping up eight places from #16 last year is Florida Avenue Brewing Co., which has changed its food menu so often it’s hard to keep up with all the new items to go with its crowd-pleasing variety of house-brewed beers, hard ciders and seltzers. Of course, you can’t go wrong with Florida Ave.’s wings (photo), cheesesteak egg rolls, smash burgers and chimichurri-style Argentine flatbread. Also ask about the Express Lunch menu and about becoming a Brew Perks member.
Another mini-chain making a big jump with our readers this year is Chuck Lager America’s Tavern, which narrowly missed the top-25 last year to jump up to #9 this time — giving The Shops at Wiregrass five of this year’s top-10 Favorites in Wesley Chapel!
Now with three locations and another coming soon to Ft. Myers, Chuck Lager continues to serve tasty giant pretzels, flatbreads, sliders (all in photo), as well as everything from Chuck’s citrus salmon to NY strip steak and Italian specialties like chicken parmesan and Fabio’s meatball sub.
Meanwhile, Ford’s Garage, located across from the Tampa Premium Outlets, dropped one spot from #9 last year to #10 this year, but still garnered plenty of attention from our readers for its popular sports bar-style fare, like the Giant Funnel Tower of Jumbo Piston Onion Rings, Famous Firestone Shrimp, BBQ pork ribs, chicken mac & cheese, smoked brisket burnt ends melt and especially, its Burgers of Fame (photo).
Plus, Motor Club members get 25% Off every 4th visit, a free birthday appetizer, exclusive news & events and more.
