Category: Business

Publix in Hollybrook Plaza Not Going Anywhere

As we’ve reported before, Wesley Chapel is getting a new Publix off S.R. 54, right across Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. from the Wesley Chapel Walmart.

And, guess where the old Publix, which is just a skip, jump and a hop away in the nearby Hollybrook Plaza on S.R. 54 and Bruce B. Downs Blvd., is headed?

Nowhere.

In fact, starting next year, the Hollybrook Plaza Publix will be beginning renovations.

That will probably be news to you, and a good many others, including us. After years of being told, and dutifully reporting, that the Hollybrook Publix would be “moving” or “relocated,” to make way for the new store, we, well, stand corrected.

“You (wrote) that the current location was closing,” says Hannah Herring, the marketing manager for Publix Supermarkets Inc., “and that is actually not happening. We’re keeping that one (in Hollybrook) open, and we’re opening another.”

That is definitely new news. We reported in September that the new Wiregrass Ranch Publix had filed plans with Pasco County for a new 60,548-sq.-ft. center, which would be anchored by a 48,848-sq.-ft. grocery store, which is correct.

But, the opening of the new store does not mean the end of the larger (60,632-sq.-ft.) Hollybrook location, which was built in 1997.

The store closing was something we had reported many times over the years. In 2015, we were told by developers at an old Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC)’s Economic Development Briefing that the Hollybrook Publix would be “relocating.” It has been repeated and reported a few times since.

“That was the story,” says Hope Kennedy, the CEO of the old WCCC and now of the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC). “That was my understanding.”

Heck, there was even a rumor floating around that the whole plaza might be razed once Publix was gone in an effort to design an intersection at S.R. 54 and BBD that actually works and would decongest traffic.

Instead, it appears that S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel will be home to two of the closest Publix grocery stores (to each other) anywhere. According to Google Maps, there’s only about a half mile between the two grocery stores if you take the roads, or a 10-minute walk.

“As it stands, we’ll have two locations, and one is going to be fairly close to the other one,” Herring says. “I’m not sure if it’s the closest, but we do have some locations that are really close to each in some areas.”

New Tampa, for example, has three Publix stores of its own. The New Tampa Blvd. location on BBD is less than five miles from both the Morris Bridge Rd. and Tampa Palms locations.

And, according to the Publix website, there are 15 Publix stores within 12 miles of the 33544 zip code in Wesley Chapel. Considering that Publix has 836 locations in Florida and is known almost as much for its level of saturation as is Starbucks, it does make sense.

Jim Hoff, who owns the Sonny’s BBQ just in front of the Hollybrook Plaza (on the BBD side), said he always thought the day would come that the Publix behind his restaurant would be replaced by the newer Publix once it was built.

He’s glad to hear that is not the case.

“This is the first I’m hearing that it is staying,” says Hoff. “We’re pretty established where we are, but would it have hurt a little? Yes. Publix is Publix. Having it there can only help us.”

publix

Residence Inn Features Wesley Chapel’s Only Rooftop Bar & More!

For locals who have been asleep the last ten months, the Wesley Chapel/New Tampa area’s first and only rooftop bar is serving food and drinks at the Residence Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel, which is adjacent to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.

According to the company’s VP of Openings & Transitions Tom Haines, the Marriott-branded Residence Inn was designed by Mainsail Lodging & Development to be not only the perfect complement to the Sports Campus, but also to the explosive growth area known as Wesley Chapel.

“In addition to sports, Wesley Chapel has a lot of new businesses relocating people here and is becoming a health care medical mecca,” Haines says. “I live here, my kids go to school here and we love Wesley Chapel.”

Mainsail, which was founded by Joe Collier in 1998, now has 13 hotel properties in Georgia and the Tampa Bay area (including the Fenway Hotel in Dunedin and the Epicurean in South Tampa) and six more in development, with 1,100 total employees and more than $200 million in annual revenues.

As for the local Residence Inn, Haines says Mainsail decided to build it because Collier was the chairman of the Hillsborough County Sports Authority, which made an attempt to get RADDSports (the private partner of Pasco County that manages the programs at the Sports Campus) to develop a Sports Campus-type facility there, “and RADD kept Mainsail involved here. This isn’t our usual build, but there was the draw of sports, which presented an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.”

The hotel is the first-ever Residence Inn with a rooftop bar. It is a 128-room all-studio hotel with 65 studio king suites, 24 studio kings with conservation views, 19 studios with two queen beds, 8 one-bedroom king studios, 8 one-bedroom studios with two queen beds and 4 two-bedroom suites with one king and one queen bed. All of the suites feature a pull-out sofa sleeper, full-sized refrigerators, kitchens and all amenities for cooking.

Other on-site amenities include complimentary breakfast, an outdoor swimming pool (that is heated in the winter), a fitness center, 24/7 Market, on-site laundry with washers & dryers, rental bicycles (where the first hour is free) and outdoor grills, as well as on-site meeting space for up to 26 people.

The Wesley Chapel Residence Inn has a new general manager and director of sales, Rebecca “Becky” Hayes, who brings a lot of enthusiasm for the hotel and the community with her to her new jobs.

“I’m really looking forward to getting out in this community and meeting more people,” she says, “especially with the holiday party season coming up. This hotel is great for any kind of social event.”

Plus, if you book your holiday party for up to 100 guests by Oct. 31 for any Sun.-Thur. (Nov. 14-Dec. 23), your venue rental (a $500 value) will be waived and you’ll receive a complimentary champagne toast.

Skybox — Food, Drinks & Fun!

Whether you or your out-of-town visitors stay at the Residence Inn or not, you should still check out our area’s only rooftop bar to have a few drinks and a little something to eat.

The Skybox’s appetizer “Bites” include Bavarian pretzel rolls with beer cheese, spinach & artichoke dip, shrimp, crab & parmesan dip and the current favorite — loaded kettle chips with pulled pork or chicken, nacho cheese, chili, jalapeños, pico de gallo, olives & sour cream.

There also are grilled southwest chicken, BBQ pulled pork and roasted veggie wrap sandwiches, salads and a reasonably priced kids’ menu, as well as a variety of desserts.

Skybox bartenders also serve a great selection of premium alcohol craft cocktails, fine wines and craft beers.

For more information about the Residence Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel (2867 Lajuana Blvd.) and the Skybox Rooftop Bar, call (833) 214-9098 or visit Marriott.com or SkytopRooftopBar.com.

Residence Inn Wiregrass Ranch sports complex

Lexington Oaks Golf Club Wants To Host YOUR Big Event!

Over the past few years, I’ve written quite a few stories about Omari’s Grill at Lexington Oaks Golf Club, because owner Anass El-Omari is a classically trained chef who serves great food at the restaurant named for him.

However, over the past year or so, Anass has recognized that most of the people dining at his golf course were, of course, golfers who didn’t necessarily care about his delicious pastas, steaks, fresh fish and other more upscale options. So, even though I personally am not thrilled about the changes to the menu, I still love the burgers, grilled chicken and chicken Philly sandwiches and the Philly cheesesteak sandwich. People also rave about the mozzarella sticks, onion rings, shrimp tacos and Colombian-style empañadas.

An avid low-handicap golfer himself, Anass says, “Most golfers want sandwiches, burgers, wings and other faster items. So, that’s all we’re serving at Omari’s now.”

In addition to the beautiful, equestrian-themed par-72, 6,748-year public golf course, Anass and his wife Susana Herrera are now focusing on hosting special events at their 7,000-sq.-ft. clubhouse, which comfortably seats 100 people inside, and 40 people on the screened-in patio outside, plus still more people on a second outdoor patio that doesn’t have a screen.

“Our clubhouse is a great place for birthday parties, weddings, rehearsal dinners, quinceañeras, baby showers, memorial services, seminars and. of course, golf tournaments,” Susana says. “We average at least two of these events per month.”

Anass and Susana have only owned the golf club and course for four years, but revamped the course’s greens in 2019 and expanded and finished renovating the clubhouse itself last year. The Lexington Oaks clubhouse also features a full-liquor, full-service bar and a nice pro shop for golfers.

And, although both the course and restaurant are open to the public, there also are golf memberships available. There also is league golf play almost every day of the week. All of the league and more golf info appears on the website LexingtonOaksGolf.com.

The course hosts about 20 tournaments each year, and will again be home to the 2nd annual RADDSports Charity golf tournament in December.

The Place For Your Big Event!

According to its website, Lexington Oaks Golf Club’s impressive clubhouse is “the perfect location for your big day. We will personalize your event to make your wedding or other special day a moment you and your guests will treasure for a lifetime. We offer customized food and beverage menus, audio visual equipment, full-service bars and built-in public address systems. Our staff is specifically trained in food and beverage operations and customer service. Our service goal is to anticipate every need before you ask and to exceed your expectations.

“If you’re looking for an even greater experience, Lexington Oaks Golf Club offers an array of special touches to enhance your big event. We have put together a comprehensive listing of our menu options (there are a lot more than just the Omari’s menu), services and other information.”

Best of all, the price is always right. If you compare Lexington Oaks Golf Club’s rates with other golf courses and/or banquet facilities in the area, I’m personally confident you won’t find better (or even comparable) food, drinks or professional service for less anywhere else. Jannah and I hosted the baby shower for our granddaughter Rosie there more than three years ago and everyone who attended raved about the food, the room and the service.

In other words, even though Omari’s Grill is no longer serving the fresh fish or pastas I loved for dinner, you can’t go wrong hosting your next big event or golf tournament at Lexington Oaks Golf Club!

Lexington Oaks Golf Club (26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd.) is open every day from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Omari’s is open for lunch & dinner Wed.-Fri., for lunch only Sat.-Sun., and is closed Mon.-Tues. For more information, call (813) 907-7270 or visit LexingtonOaksGolf.com.

Macondo Coffee Shop Opens In Former Degajé Location

Casiani Contreras spent a lot of his time in college drinking coffee.

In between earning marketing and finance degrees from Florida International University in Miami, Contreras would spend his time studying at Macondo, a local coffee shop. He would start his day with a coffee and maybe a breakfast sandwich and, by lunchtime, he was ready for a smoothie and perhaps a quinoa bowl.

“I probably went there 100 times,” he says, and can still remember the smell of the coffee beans as they were being roasted.

Now, Contreras, 29, owns his coffee shop. On Sept. 19, he opened up Macondo Coffee Roasters in the former location of Degajé, in The Village at The Grove.

The night before, Contreras and his wife Anna (photo), his dad, mom and uncle put the finishing touches on the place around 1 a.m. The entire project was a labor of love, with help from his family and business partner Rommel Medina.

In the era of massive chains like Starbucks dominating the coffee market, Macondo is a nice change of pace. The Colombian coffee is painstakingly sourced and brewed — the cold brew is a 12-hour process – and the decor is hip and urban and, like everything at The Grove, Instagrammable. Contreras hired someone from Miami to put the impressive menu on the chalkboard behind the counter. It took two days to complete.

On it you can see a variety of hand-brewed 100% Colombian coffees, breakfast and lunch sandwiches and wraps, paninis, salads, healthy bowls and smoothies.

Contreras made Macondo in Wesley Chapel happen. He said he sent the owner of the original four stores in the Miami area a long email, telling him one day he’d love to own a store of his own. He encouraged them to franchise, and they granted his wish.

But until he moved to Wesley Chapel, because he says he liked the vibe, finding a place to open his Macondo proved elusive. He visited over 10 potential locations, but none of them worked. While he looked, he would often spend his day working (he owns a logistics company) at Degajé.

Then one day, after putting his dream on hold for six months, he found the perfect place. “I was on Google, I don’t remember the actual website, but I saw this place listed for sale and was like, Oh my God,” Contreras says. “I knew it was the one near my house (in Epperson). And, I liked the place!”

So, three months ago, Contreras purchased Degajé and, with a lot of hard work and long hours, turned it into Macondo.

“It was just super meant to be” Contreras says. For more information about Macondo Wesley Chapel (6027 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 101), visit MacondoCoffee.com or call (813) 991-5010.

Macondo

Ha Long Bay Vietnamese & Asian Fusion Restaurant Opens!

Congratulations to my new friends Nhan Nguyen and her husband Hai Chu and their family, the owners of the new Ha Long Bay restaurant, which is now open in the space at 20685 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. previously occupied by Aroi Thai-Tsuyu (not to be confused with the still-open Arroy Thai on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel).

Several months ago, we announced in these pages that the new restaurant would be a new location of Hana Sushi, but when that deal fell through, Nhan and Hai jumped at the opportunity to open the fourth location of Ha Long Bay (the others are in St. Petersburg, Dunedin and Largo). Nhan and Hai also previously owned Ocean Blue Sushi Bar in Carrollwood.

The new Ha Long Bay features a variety of Vietnamese and Asian fusion favorites, including pho soup (top left photo), banh mi sandwiches (left), Chinese-style stir-fry dishes (bottom right) and fried rice (bottom left), Japanese-style gyoza dumplings (bottom left), poké bowls, rice combination plates, sushi and a large variety of boba teas. Beer, wine and saké should be available soon, too.

The new Ha Long Bay is managed by New Tampa residents Kay and Mandy Vongsa.

“They are like family to us,” Nhan says. And, with food like this, they’re kinda feeling like family to me, too.

For more info, call (813) 406-4917 or visit HaLongBayNewTampa.com.

Ha Long Bay