TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar Adds Brunch &…A Robot? 

TrebleMakers’ co-owners (l.-r.) Joe Hess, Lee Bevan & Jamie Hess.

I’ve said this before but, as much as we love live music, Jannah and I don’t visit Treble Makers Dueling Piano Restaurant & Bar in the Village at The Grove every week for the weekend dueling piano shows. Don’t get me wrong, the shows are great — as are the free solo piano shows beginning at 6 p.m. every Thursday-Saturday. 

The shrimp tacos are served with house-made crispy potato chips. 
You can enjoy TrebleMakers’ delicious chicken bruschetta for brunch or dinner!

But, for those who still have never enjoyed a meal at TrebleMakers, I can’t urge you strongly enough to check it out for everything from its delicious fresh fish (the coconut curry grouper is one of executive chef Kevin Maggard’s true masterpieces) and seafood (love the diver scallops and many rave about the shrimp tacos), plus excellent steaks (the filet mignon and thick-cut prime rib are my favorites), great chicken options (like my latest favorite, the bruschetta chicken shown left), delicious pastas and starters like the seared ahi tuna, the fried calamari in sweet Thai chili sauce, the potato gnocchi, crispy Brussels sprouts and their most popular appetizer, the baked Imperial crab dip.

And, even though Jannah and I have been frequent visitors for lunch at TrebleMakers from the moment it opened in Sept. 2020, we now have a new reason to visit and enjoy it — the super-yummy Sunday brunch!

When all three of Jannah’s kids came to visit recently, we got her entire family together at TrebleMakers so that yours truly could check out the different brunch items being offered by TrebleMakers co-owners Jamie and his brother Joe Hess and Lee Bevan.

One piece of good news is that if you’re not a fan of bottomless mimosas for only $15 per person (or bottomless champagne for just $20 per person) or eating eggs at lunch time, no matter what day of the week it is, most of TrebleMakers’ entire delicious menu also is available during the Sunday brunch hours — 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

And, it appears the word about the brunch has already gotten out, as our party of 13 was only the second largest the Sunday we visited and there were a number of other tables on hand, all raving not only about the food, but also the recently added robot server (photo, below, and more on that below). 

About The Brunch Menu…    

The brunch specialty that isn’t on the regular lunch or dinner menu at TrebleMakers that most appealed to yours truly is the “Feather & Waffles,” which features super-crispy, house-brined chicken breast, served atop a Belgian-style waffle and served with applewood-smoked bacon, two eggs served your choice of sunny side up or scrambled, and real maple syrup.

Another brunch-only option sampled at our table was the fried egg smash burger, which features sausage-infused brisket smash patties on a brioche roll, cheddar cheese, that crispy applewood-smoked bacon, with lettuce, tomato, onion and garlic aioli, topped off by an over-easy fried egg and served with TrebleMakers’ super-crispy fries.

One option we didn’t try that I look forward to sampling in the future is the Treble Classic Platter, featuring TrebleMakers’ exclusive 12-hour espresso-rubbed brisket, roasted garlic hash, with Cuban toast, two sunny-side-up or scrambled eggs, bacon and maple sausage links. Also available on the brunch menu are Cuban avocado toast, featuring a La Segunda Bakery Cuban loaf, fresh Haas avocado smash, cherry tomato, everything bagel seasoning and local micro greens (you can even add two fried eggs to this one), brioche French toast, fried deviled crab Benny (with a honey deviled crab cake and potato hash on an English muffin) and the brisket skillet Treble hash with bell peppers, Brussels sprouts and a fried egg. All of the brunch menu items are only $13-$16 each. Kids menu items (including penne marinara, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and a kids cheeseburger) are all just $7 each. There’s even a solo piano show every Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 

TrebleMakers also served a special, “not your typical” Easter buffet brunch on Apr. 9, with chef-inspired stations for $44.95 per person ($39.95 for those aged 65+ and $19.95 for kids ages 5-12, 4 & under free). Jamie says many of the same items will be repeated for Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 14, so make your reservations now!

And yes, after seeing how efficient a robot server was at an Asian restaurant in New Tampa, Jamie, Joe and Lee decided to invest in a robot server for TrebleMakers. 

“And, rather than replacing our servers,” Jamie says, “it’s helped them and our busboys work more efficiently, as the robot brings the food to the table, so the server only has to put the plates in front of each patron.” The robot also politely asks for people to move out of its way and even plays ‘Happy Birthday!”

TrebleMakers (6034 Wesley Grove Blvd.) is open every day for lunch and dinner. For more information, call (813) 406-4371, visit TrebleMakersofWC.com.

Business Briefs — Celebrating Flip Flop Shops & PetSmart Vet Services 

The Flip Flop Shop in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza Grand Opening celebration in Wesley Chapel. (All photos by Charmaine George)

The Flip Flop Shop, which has been open since February 4 in the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza (across from the Shops at Wiregrass) on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., south of S.R. 56, held a Grand Opening and North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) ribbon-cutting event on April 1.

Owners Traci and Kevin Taylor decided to relocate to Florida from Colorado after visiting their son for his Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) graduation from the U.S. Navy EOD School in Destin in 2018. 

The artwork displayed on the walls of their Flip Flop Shop tells the story of what compelled them to make the move to Florida, after a memorable day on the beach with their son. It was during that picturesque moment sitting on the beach looking out at the water with drinks in their hands when they looked at each other and said, “Well, this doesn’t suck.” 

After they made the move to Florida and Kevin retired, they searched for a franchise that would allow them to add their own personalities to their location.

That’s when they found Flip Flop Shops. And, even though they ended up moving to Riverview themselves, Traci, a long-time fan of Walt DisneyWorld in Orlando, said it was the family-driven culture in our area that solidified their choice to open their own Flip Flop Shop in Wesley Chapel. 

Kevin also mentioned that their choice made sense since most people in the Sunshine State wear some form of flip flops or casual wear and, “the Flip Flop Shops (company) is California-based (with more than 50 locations across North America, including now five in the Tampa Bay area), but it has a very Florida feel.”

During the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests were urged to grab food and spin the prize wheel, which awarded guests a prize from one of the Flip Flop Shop’s manufacturers. The shop offers a wide variety of flip flops and casual wear, as well as accessories that support conservation and other causes. The Taylors were happy to walk guests around and show them some of their most popular brands, including Oofoos, Crocs, and Hey Dude. They even have a variety of Jibbitz charms for those who love to customize their Crocs. 

Traci and Kevin truly embody the family culture that drove them to open their Flip Flop Shop, and it showed as they interacted with guests. “We want to treat everyone who walks in the door like family,” Kevin said.

Flip Flop Shops Wesley Chapel is located at 1752 Bruce B Downs Blvd. For more information, call (813) 994-8204 or visit FlipFlopShops.com.

PetSmart Veterinary Services

The PetSmart Veterinary Services location in The Grove held a recent Grand Opening celebration in Wesley Chapel. 

Two weeks earlier, the PetSmart at The Grove in Wesley Chapel unveiled its new Veterinary Services with a self-hosted Grand Opening and Open House on March 18.

The Grand Opening event was held on a Saturday, which meant that on your way to the back of the store where the new vet services are located, you were greeted by cats and kittens up for adoption. Rescue Cats of Florida is at PetSmart at The Grove every Saturday with cats and kittens all eager to find loving “fur-ever” homes. If you have your vet appointment on a Saturday or you’re in the area, you can stop by and see if any of the playful cats are right for you.

Veterinary partners Dr. Alejandra Navarro and Dr. Leslie Block went all out for their Grand Opening. Guests were able to meet the staff, partake in a free photo booth with their pets, eat slices of Marco’s Pizza, plus Crumbl Cookies, cupcakes and other sweets, and sign up for appointments at the Vet Services kiosk. Dr. Navarro and Dr. Block have more than 26 years of combined experience and can’t wait to meet everyone’s fur babies.

The Grove PetSmart’s Veterinary Services is a privately owned, full-service hospital offering anything from vaccines to dental work and even surgeries. They also offer walk-ins and drop-offs for those who have busy schedules, as well as a cat room where they have pheromone diffuser plug-ins and scratching posts to help make visits for your cats as easy and cat-friendly as possible. 

Dr. Navarro also is bilingual, so she can help clients who feel most comfortable communicating in Spanish. She said that she is one of those people who knew from an early age that she wanted to be a vet. 

“I like making pet care simple and accessible to clients and not overwhelming, which it sometimes can be,” she said. “I want to be there for all stages of your pet’s life, from family introductions to navigating through older age.”

You can meet Dr. Navarro, Dr. Block and their friendly staff at 6001 Wesley Grove Blvd. For more information or to book your appointment, call (813) 761-1241 or visit PetSmart.com

Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel Begins Leasing

This is a recent construction photos showing the progress of Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. (All photos and graphics on these pages provided by Nye Commercial Advisors, LLC)

Although The Grove has a big head start staking its claim as Wesley Chapel’s “official” downtown — with the expansion of “The Village,” the addition of the KRATE Container Park and the addition of new apartments and Grove Mini Golf, plus a new SuperTarget store, a new competitor has finally joined the discussion:

The Avalon Park Group has announced today that it is partnering with Nye Commercial Advisors, LLC, to lease 23,720 square feet of commercial/retail space in the 73,067 mixed-use Building, “DT1,” located in Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

 DT1 is the first of three buildings planned for the first phase of the long-awaited downtown section of this master planned community.  The three-story building now under construction is comprised of the 23,720 sq. ft. of commercial/retail space that will be located below 40-unit multi-family, for- rent apartment homes.

The additional components planned for Phase 1 include a 97,000-sq.-ft. mixed-use building with 21,000 sq. ft. of commercial/retail space below 60-unit multi-family, for-rent apartment homes, a 103-unit multi-family building and a two-acre town park, which is expected to break ground later this year.

 “Our relationship with the Nye team goes back more than 30 years, when we initially purchased the property,” says Beat Kahli, the president and CEO of Avalon Park Group. “Nye’s deep roots in the Wesley Chapel community, and their commercial expertise, make them the perfect partner to bring needed commercial uses to Downtown Avalon Park and eastern Pasco County.”

This is a recent construction photos showing the progress of Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

 Upon completion, Avalon Park Wesley Chapel will encompass more than 1,600 acres and will be home to approximately 400,000 sq. ft. of retail and 100,000 sq. ft. of office space in its unique downtown. The initial construction in Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel began in 2018, with the addition of the Pinecrest Academy K-7 Charter School. Pinecrest Academy also is now building its second phase, which includes the addition of approximately 600 6th-8th grade student stations.

 “Wesley Chapel continues to grow each day,” says Brent Nye, the executive director of Nye Commercial Advisors. “We welcome the opportunity to bring the businesses and services needed to Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, which will serve as a downtown for the entire region.”

Nye also says that although they are primarily seeking 3-5-year leases on these first available retail spaces, “We are open to different lease terms.” He adds that no outparcels have been included in the current plan, but, “some land is available and we are open to discussion about that but since we have higher-than-typical suburban densities on our land, one-story uses may be a challenge.”

He adds that although Avalon Park Group is handling the leasing of the 40 residential apartment units separately itself, those units are being built concurrently with the retail spaces below them and are expected to open around the same time, which should be by sometime during the first quarter of 2024, “if everything goes according to plan.”

Please note that certain types of retail uses may not be allowed, including “adult entertainment” uses, and bars and some other retail uses may first have to be approved by Avalon Park Group.

As stated in the official Avalon Park Wesley Chapel website — AvalonParkWesleyChapel.com:

“Do you dream of living where you work and working where you play? Then bring your business home to Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

The rendering above depicts what life will be like in Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel when it is completed.  

The distinctive small-town flavor and the convenience of downtown living merge in downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel to create the perfect place to spend an hour or the entire day. Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel will bring conveniences like dining, shopping, schools, grocery stores, and your neighborhood doctor within a short walk or bike ride of your home.

In this town, there’s room for every entrepreneur — storefronts, shops, and office bays downtown, as well as rent-by-the-day workspaces for home-based businesses. There will be schools and medical centers where neighbors work. There’s a local Marketplace where chefs serve and musicians play; a commissary kitchen where makers create; and a General Store where artisans will share their wares. And, all of it will lie along the sidewalks of this picturesque town.

Best of all, Avalon Park Wesley Chapel also will offer complimentary advertising and marketing services for our neighborhood businesses, helping you build relationships with the residents in our neighborhood and beyond.

Whatever you need, make your business the talk of the town in one of Central Florida’s fastest-growing areas.”  

For more info about Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, visit AvalonParkWesleyChapel.com or call (813) 783-1515.  For Phase 1 commercial leasing info, call Nye Commercial Advisors at (813) 973-0214.

Nibbles & Bites: New KRATEs Now Open & Coming Soon, Plus Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli

Although I never actually saw it close, The Fry Room at the KRATE Container Park at The Grove was quickly replaced by Top That! Pizza & More, which serves NY-style pizza (top photo), plus Buffalo wings and many of The Fry Room’s tasty fried chicken, fish and other specialties (but sadly, not the apple cider donuts). For more info, visit TopThatPizzaFL.com.

We also told you last issue that Valiart Jewelry was being replaced by Tutti Frutti Café. However, if you thought Tutti Frutti would be “just” a smoothie place, you (and I) were wrong. As it turns out, not only can you get a great smoothie there, Tutti Frutti also offers fresh organic juices and a variety of fresh fruit “sushi” and other platters. Even just the fresh fruit case (left photo) will make you want to go sample it. For more info, visit Tutti-FruttiCafe.com.

Likewise, we were sad to see the Computer Emergency Room location in the KRATEs — which is owned by TrebleMakers (see pg. 32) co-owners Jamie and his brother Joe Hess — close (they replaced my cracked iPhone screen while I waited during the KRATE Grand Opening event last year). 

But, when you see what Computer ER’s replacement — Paleta Mia — will have to offer when it opens sometime next month, let’s just say that it’ll surely soften the blow.

Mojo Grill (also in the KRATEs) owner Luis Ledezma says that Paleta Mia will offer truly gourmet, hand-crafted fresh fruit ice pops with a variety of toppings, but what really caught my eye were Paleta Mia’s unique waffle pops (right photo), many of which are chocolate-dipped, and also with a variety of toppings. So much for the diet! “We believe the price points at Paleta Mia will appeal to many people,” Luis says, “and the pops are definitely Instagrammable!” For more info, visit “PaletaMia_icepops” on Facebook.  

Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli

For those seeking unique options outside of the KRATEs, we’ve also waited until we had more info about Mac’s Custom Meats + Deli, which is now open in the northern anchor spot of the Grand Oaks Plaza on Wesley Chapel Blvd., before we told you about it.

Mac’s, named for owner and and grilling fanatic Daxton McLochlin (left photo), sells top-quality Angus steaks, plus delicious baby back ribs and other pork and chicken options. But for me, having a new deli so close to where we live carries the most appeal. 

For a variety of delicious pressed Cubans (including the excellent roast beef Cuban, with freshly sliced roast beef, shown here), grilled burgers and delicious deli meat and tuna & egg salad sandwiches, check out Mac’s, which opened just after we went to press with our April 18 Wesley Chapel issue.

“We’ll make your lunch and provide everything you need to grill your dinner,” Daxton says. He even sells his own line of Mac’s sauces to enhance your grilling experience.

For more info, call (317) 509-8798.