Business Briefs — Shanks Indoor Golf, O’Reilly Auto Parts & Ribbon Cuttings 

Research by Joel Provenzano 

The area along Wesley Chapel Blvd. in front of the Lexington Oaks development is suddenly alive with new construction. 

We previously reported about the nearly completed Sentosa Lexington apartments, located south of Lexington (Lex) Oaks Blvd., as well as about a new Moe’s SW Grill-anchored retail/office plaza north of Lexington Oaks Blvd. on Wesley Chapel (WC) Blvd. 

Now, however, although construction has not yet begun, The Hub at Lexington is getting ready to begin vertical construction in front of Sonesta by Nov. 1. 

And, although The Hub leasing agent Courtney Bissett-Hayes didn’t confirm it for us, Shanks Indoor Golf & Bar (IGB) reported on its Facebook page that it is “Coming Soon to Wesley Chapel — Nov./Dec. 2024.” 

The Facebook announcement from Sept. 29 says, “Shanks IGB is an indoor facility that offers a realistic golfing experience through the use of advanced technology. Shanks IGB features multiple simulators equipped with high-definition screens, sensors, and computer software that accurately recreate the look and feel of many renowned golf courses. Players can use their own clubs and hit real golf balls into the screen, which tracks the ball’s trajectory and provides instant feedback on distance, accuracy, and shot data. Shanks IGB will provide a comfortable environment with amenities like lounge areas, refreshments, apparel and equipment, DIY Maintenance Stations, and professional instruction, allowing golf enthusiasts to play, practice, and improve their game regardless of weather conditions or time of day.” 

Our editorial researcher Joel Provenzano was able to locate a Pasco County development record stating that, “The project is proposing the development of a 40,000-sq.-ft. retail/restaurant center at the SW corner of WC Blvd. and Lex Oaks Blvd. This project is a part of the Lexington Oaks Plaza MPUD.” The property owner is listed as Specialty Restaurants Corp. in Costa Mesa, CA, and the applicant on the development request is Landis Evans + Partners in Lutz. For more information, visit ShanksIndoorGolfBar.com. 

O’Reilly Auto Parts Isn’t Shanks 

A while before I heard about Shanks, Jannah and I had been seeing a new building under construction at the southern end of the Sentosa apartments and wondered what it was, so I had Joel check it out and he found that the building (right photo) — which seemed to have no windows so we assumed it wasn’t a restaurant — and Joel found that it was an O’Reilly Auto Parts store, not Shanks (or another restaurant), as I had originally hoped. 

We had no further information about the building at our press time, as Joel couldn’t find any actual plans for the nearly-completed store, other than an application by One Oak Development, LLC, of Clearwater. The property owner also is Specialty Restaurants Corp. 

Recent NTBC Ribbon-Cutting Events 

In addition to the Spinner Law Firm and Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel events in conjunction with the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC), we attended a couple of other recent ribbon cuttings events where the NTBC brought its scissors. 

The first, on Oct. 17 was for Shells Florida Realty (left photo) and Broker/owner Michele Curtin, who has her office at SOAR Co-Working in Tampa Palms. Although she has worked for other real estate companies before, Michele said she named her own company “Shells” because people never spell her first name correctly, so she just calls herself “Shell.” The long-time New Tampa resident says she specializes in residential properties in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, but can help home buyers and sellers anywhere in Florida. 

For more information, call or text Michele at (813) 751-1211 or visit ShellSellsFloridaHomes.com. 

Then, on Oct. 19, business consultant Jonathan McKeen-Chaff held a ribbon cutting for his Prepense Business Solutions at the Pasco Economic Development Council (EDC)’s SmartStart location at The Grove. 

Jonathan used his joint NTBC and Dade City Chamber ribbon-cutting event (above) to present Prepense’s “Cash Flow River: Our Philosophy of Marketing.” For more info about Prepense Marketing, call Jonathan at (352) 428-6067 or visit PrepenseSolutions.com. 

For more info about the NTBC, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.com or call (813) 994-8534. 

Hilton Garden Inn Celebrates Five Years In Wesley Chapel With A Donation 

The Hilton Garden Inn’s fifth anniversary celebration included a $1,000 donation (above) and more than 150 toys (left) donated to the Celebrate Birthdays nonprofit organization. Pictured above are (l.-r.) Lori Behrendt of Emerald Hospitality Assoc. (which owns the hotel), Celebrate Birthdays co-founder Belinda Leto and Lisa Moore and Charlie Whiteacre of the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

Sometimes, the most exciting thing about a ribbon-cutting event is the food. But, while the fifth anniversary celebration for the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel did include some pretty great food — and free drinks — the hotels market director of sales Lisa Moore and area general manager Charlie Whiteacre turned their North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting on Oct. 12 into something much more impressive, with more than 100 people attending. 

First of all, Moore had unique set-ups in three of the Hilton’s meeting rooms — one with rows of chairs, as though for a lecture, one with a circular conference table and the third with tables and chairs with black linens and gold sashes around the chairs, as you would have for a wedding or other special event. 

She also set loose the hotel’s catering staff, led by Chef Marcia, which provided a beautiful fruit display, deviled eggs, wrap sandwiches cut sushi-style, as well as pulled pork sliders, big fried shrimp, crispy egg rolls and more. 

But, perhaps the best thing was that Whiteacre and Moore had the Hilton gave a $1,000 donation and asked attendees to bring unwrapped toys to donate to “Celebrate Birthdays,” a 501(c) (3) nonprofit whose mission is “to ensure that every foster child, and all children, have the opportunity to celebrate their birthday and receive a present.” 

In addition to the big check, Moore says that more than 150 presents were collected and all of them were donated to Celebrate Birthdays. 

“It was a great event,” Moore said afterward. “We appeciate the community’s support and hope people also saw a lot of the ways they can utilize the hotel.” 

For more info about Celebrate Birthdays, visit CelebrateBirthdays.org. For info about the Hilton Garden Inn, call Moore at (813) 591-6907. 

Nibbles & Bites: Bang-Bang! Bowls Is Open In Pebble Creek! 

Even though I grew up in New York, I had no idea what to expect from the new Bang-Bang! Bowls (located in the space previously occupied by Coffee Speaks & Tea Talks in the Pebble Creek Collection), which bills itself as “NY-style Indian rice bowls.” 

Well, following our first visit, Jannah and I really like Bang-Bang! Bowls, which has only one other location — in Nebraska. I ordered the “make-it-yourself” bowl (above photo), which I got with long-grain yellow rice, jerk chicken (with a semi-spicy jerk sauce) and fresh veggies. Jannah loved the spicy chicken taco (left photo), especially the mild white sauce and the clearly house-baked soft taco shells. 

Bang-Bang! Bowls (19651 BBD Blvd.) is open every day, 4 p.m.-midnight, except Monday (when it is closed). For more information, visit Bang-Bang-Bowls.com or call (813) 406-4366. — GN 

Nibbles & Bites: Fazzoli’s & Barberitos Are Coming Soon To S.R. 54 

Research by Joel Provenzano 

The current construction at The Shoppes at Cypress Creek. 

Although it’s not going to be located in Wesley Chapel, a new 8,000-sq.-ft. building now under construction on S.R. 54 in Lutz, less than a mile west of the Tampa Premium Outlets (and just west of the Mobil gas station), will finally soon be home to two new restaurants — Fazoli’s and Barberitos. 

People have been asking for a while about these two fast casual eateries, as the signs for both had been located at the site for more than a year before the plaza, which is being called The Shoppes at Cypress Creek, began construction. 

The Take 5 Oil Change facility has been open for several weeks now in what is being called The Shoppes at Cypress Creek. 

Well, even though only the Fazoli’s sign is currently still standing, it appears that both restaurants are going to be included in the same under-construction building between the Mobil station and the new Take 5 Oil Change (see bottom photo), which is the first of what ultimately will be four buildings to be located on the 3.52-acre site. 

The site plan submitted with Pasco County by St. Petersburg-based retail developer Paradise Ventures, Inc., calls for three retail tenants in the under-construction building (photo below), the nearly 2,700-sq.ft. westernmost one (closest to the already-built Woodie’s Wash Shack) with a drive-through lane, which we’re assuming will be Fazoli’s, since all of the chain’s current locations (including the nearest one on E. Busch Bvd.) have a drive-through. 

The development’s site plan.

Based on the development’s site plan, it appears that Barberitos will be located in the 1,800-sq.-ft. easternmost space (closest to Take 5) and an as-yet unnamed retailer in the 2,675-sq.-ft. middle space. 

The third building at the site, which is not yet under construction, is a future restaurant pad that the site plan says will be a maximum of 5,500 sq. ft. 

For leasing and other information about the Shoppes at Cypress Creek, call John Mott at (727) 812-1555 or visit ParadiseVenturesInc.com. 

More About Fazoli’s 

According to Fazolis.com, the Kentucky-based chain founded in 1988 has more than 200 locations, the majority of which are franchises in more than half of the 50 U.S. states, including six in Florida. 

The Ultimate Sampler (fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti & meatballs, penne w/meat sauce and lasagne w/ meat sauce.

The 35-year-old company’s slogan is “Fast. Fresh. Italian.” and fans of the brand say the breadsticks are “even better than Olive Garden’s.” 

Well, I’ve never been a fan of Olive Garden’s breadsticks, but I do love Italian food, so I am hopeful, since Jannah and I live so close to the coming-soon location, that it will be worth the long wait. I likely will visit the Busch Blvd. location sometime after this issue hits mailboxes to try it out. 

In addition to those breadsticks, Fazoli’s features pizzas, pastas (including baked pastas like lasagne and chicken parmigiana), “Snacks & Shareables” (like baked meatballs and fried mozzarella bites), hot and cold subs, salads and a variety of pasta samplers, such as the four-item combo shown above. 

More About Barberitos 
The burrito bowl at Barberitos. 

According to Barberitos.com, the Athens, GA-based fast-casual Southwestern cuisine eatery was founded in 2000 by Downing Barber. The restaurant’s slogan is “Food • Community • People.” 

The “Coming Soon” notification I found says that Barberitos features, “farm-fresh burritos, tacos, quesadillas, salads and more in a casual, family-friendly atmosphere. Choose one of our popular specialty items or create your own favorite from one of more than 30 toppings…and our made-in-house salsas.” 

The nearest to us of the 50+ Barberitos throughout the southeastern U.S. is in Panama City, FL, so I guess I won’t be able to visit one anytime soon. 

The Hub At Lexington Will Offer Another Opportunity To Stay Local 

The buzz words are “downtown,” “neo-traditional” and even Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman’s own term, “Eatertainment,” but more and more large developments in the Wesley Chapel area are offering residents the opportunity to live, work, play and eat in or adjacent to their home communities. 

We currently have The Grove at Wesley Chapel and its KRATE Container Park being surrounded by new apartment units, the Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel area will begin opening its first building — with locally owned restaurants and businesses on the ground floor and rental apartment units on the upper floors — by the early part of 2024 and the Wiregrass Ranch development will likely begin developing its long-planned Town Center area sometime sooner than later. 

But, the concept of being able to eat and be entertained in your own backyard will soon not be limited to those new large-scale developments, as The Hub At Lexington will bring 40,000 square feet of “Experiential Dining & Entertainment,” including restaurants, retail shops and at what appears to be Shanks Indoor Golf & Bar (see pg. 18), to the northwest corner of Wesley Chapel Blvd. and Lexington Oaks Blvd. (see sign below), in front of the Sentosa apartments and is expected to begin building by a day or so after this issue reached your mailbox. 

According to leasing agent Courtney Bissett- Hayes of Bissett McGrath Properties, The Hub at Lexington will include 15-20 local and regional restaurants in six buildings and an as-yet unknown entertainment venue, all with access to covered outdoor seating with 12 large artificial trees providing shade. It’s being developed by Center Connect Development, which already has opened its The Hub at Bexley (but not yet with all of its businesses open) on S.R. 54 at Bexley Village Dr./Northpointe Pkwy., in front of the Bexley community near the Suncoast Pkwy. As shown on the sign below, the developer prides itself on providing “Live, Work & Play” opportunities. 

Jannah and I visited The Hub at Bexley (top photos) during its weekly Friday evening street fair and while it’s reminiscent of The Village at The Grove, the covered area provides great relief from our Florida heat and includes the now-open Grain & Berry and Thirsty Buffalo brewery, plus The Poke Company, The Blend Coffee & Cocktails, Taco Bus and downtown St. Pete favorite Bella Brava, as well as Duckweed Liquors, a fitness location and more coming soon. 

Bissett-Hayes says that The Hub at Lexington is larger and will have twice as many artificial shade trees (12 vs. 6) as The Hub at Bexley. 

For leasing information at The Hub at Lexington, call Courtney Bissett-Hayes at (813) 340-7936.