As you drive eastbound on S.R. 56, past the main entrance to the Tampa Premium Outlets (at Grand Cypress Dr., between BJâs Brewhouse and Cheddarâs), you may not realize that there is another mall entrance (above photo) that currently offers a right-in-only turn just before you reach Rock & Brews (below photo). Pasco County, FDOT, Sierra Properties & Raysor Transportation Consulting are looking into adding a lane that would provide vehicles with another way to exit the mall and get on I-75 southbound. (Photos by Charmaine GeorgeÂ
Although we went to press with this issue the weekend before Black Friday, I am among the few local residents who avoids the Tampa Premium Outlets like the plague during the holiday shopping season.
Even though I hope both local shopping malls have a successful year, I just donât have the patience to fight the traffic entering and exiting the outlet mall during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Case in point, despite the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) being pretty much fully open at S.R. 56 and I-75 last year at this time, the traffic getting both into and out of the Outlets was brutal.
I remember wondering to myself, âWhy canât someone look into adding at least another way to exit the mall?â And the corollary, âWhy canât they improve the interior roads at the mall to better handle the traffic?â
Well, it looks as though someone is trying the do something about it, which surely wonât be able to help the holiday traffic flow this year or probably even next year, but at least itâs becoming a possibility.Â
Mike Raysor, the president/owner of Raysor Traffic Consulting, LLC, says his company has been retained to study the possibility of adding a right-turn-out exit from, adjacent to the right-turn-in entrance to, the mall. Raysor is studying the possible effects not only on mall traffic but at the DDI itself, since the exit from the mall would put those exiting vehicles in what is now two entrance lanes to get onto southbound I-75.
Pasco County, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Sierra Properties, which has developed not only the outlet mall itself but also the development both north and south of S.R. 56 between I-75 and Wesley Chapel Blvd., are all working with Raysorâs company to study the potential effects, not only on traffic flow but also on safety, since adding the new mall exit would have an effect not only on southbound I-75, but also on vehicles attempting to head eastbound S.R. 56 and even some trying to cross enough lanes of traffic to get on northbound I-75 once theyâve exited the Outlets.Â
Raysor also has retained former FDOT transportation engineer Joel Provenzano to help with the traffic studies. Provenzano, who also provides editorial research for this publication, was unable to help with this story because of his new consulting position.
Provenzano was with FDOT when the âMall Entranceâ sign shown in the photo above left was erected at the right-in-only turn near Rock & Brews, in an effort to keep at least some traffic away from the mallâs main entrance at Grand Cypress Dr.
Unfortunately, Raysor says, that additional entrance hasnât done as much as it possibly might have had there also been a right-out-exit at the same location. âA lot of people donât even realize that entrance is there,â Raysor says, âbut more people might recognize it as an entrance if there also was a way out of the mall in the same area.â
Weâll keep you posted as to the outcome of the study. In the meantime, can someone please look into closing off the median and the left turn at BJâs right after you enter at the light at Grand Cypress or at least cut the hedges at that median to increase visibility?
The original Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run will again be held at the Tampa Premium Outlets tomorrow â Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23, at 7:30 a.m. If you scan the code shown here before 7 p.m. tonight, you can still get in on the pre-race-day pricing.
Every 100th finisher of the 5K will win a FREE pair of shoes from Fleet Feet (located next to Sprouts on Hunter’s Village Dr.) and long-sleeve shirts are still available if you register now.
The Wiregrass Wobble, the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel area’s original pre-feast calorie burn, will again benefit the New Tampa Family YMCA in Tampa Palms.
Its unique fusion of Italian and Southern cuisine has made Noble Crust in The Shops at Wiregrass the winner of our readersâ Favorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel for three consecutive years. (Photos by Charmaine George)Â
Since it only has three locations â Wesley Chapel, Carrollwood and the original in St. Pete â you canât really call Noble Crust a chain.
What you can call it, however, is a three-peat winner as our readersâ Favorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel. Noble Crust, which is known for its Southern-inspired Italian fare, craft cocktails and great vibe, has been in our readersâ top-5 every year since it opened in the Shops at Wiregrass in 2017, and has taken home top honors for 2021, 2022 & 2023.
Although runner-up finisher Azteca DâOro (see below) had the most first-place votes, Noble Crust had more 2nd-, 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-place votes than any other Wesley Chapel restaurant this year to secure the top spot with our readers.Â
Although it has been open in the Shops at Wiregrass less than a year, Azteca DâOroâs monster burritos helped make it our readersâ Second Favorite Restaurant in Wesley Chapel for 2023.
A family-owned mini-chain with eight other locations from New Smyrna Beach to Lakeland, Azteca DâOro opened in the Shops at Wiregrass earlier this year to mostly rave reviews and came within a few points of winning the top spot with our readers in its first year here.
Azteca DâOroâs quality, authentic Mexican cuisine and huge portions helped the newcomer earn the most first-place votes of the more than 500 Neighborhood News readers who voted in this category this year and it might have finished ahead of Noble Crust had it had as many 2nd-5th-place votes.Â
Grillsmith has been in our readersâ top-10 Favorite Restaurants in Wesley Chapel every year it has been open, and it gives the mall a clean sweep of the top-3 this year.Â
Another perennial favorite, this five-location mini-chain has finished in our readersâ top-10 every year since it opened (including first-place honors as recently as 2020), Grillsmithâs third-place finish this year gives the Shops at Wiregrass a clean sweep of the top-three spots in this yearâs survey.
The restaurantâs fairly-priced American fare, like its âshort-trip fresh fish,â and comfortable bar continue to attract fans among our readers.Â
Although itâs never finished in the top-10 at its newer location on S.R. 56 before, this former two-time Readers Survey winner jumped up to #3 this year, thanks in part to its revamped menu.
With nearly 200 locations nationwide, Bonefish is a full-fledged chain known for its fresh seafood, like the bang-bang shrimp shown here.Â
Jumping up from its #19 finish with our readers last year (and #14 in 2021), Zukku-San on S.R. 56 is an upscale, family-owned Japanese restaurant with a premium full-liquor bar and delicious food.
Starting with just a sushi âstallâ at Tampaâs Armature Works, Zukku-San has added a full location in North Carolina and another fast casual concept called Ato at the KRATE Container Park at The Grove.
It was only open for a short time when most of our readers submitted their ballots last year, so it came in at #25, but this upscale addition to The Shops at Wiregrass obviously pleased a lot of locals this year.
The original Living Room in downtown Dunedin is a perennial favorite, and the Wesley Chapel location being voted Best Pasco Restaurant by Creative Loafing readers probably didnât hurt its recognition factor with our readers this year.Â
Jumping up from #11 with our readers in 2021, BJâs is another full-fledged chain with more than 200 U.S. locations that is still serving a wide variety of favorites, despite obviously reducing its number of menu options over the past year.
Its ideal location in front of the Tampa Premium Outlets on S.R. 56 definitely helps keep the parking lot and wait list full at our local BJâs and its fair pricing and premium full-liquor bar has helped keep it among our readersâ favoritesÂ
Like BJâs Brewhouse, Bahama Breeze didnât crack the top-25 when we asked readers for one list of favorites among all Wesley Chapel and New Tampa restaurants last year, but it was #7 in Wesley Chapel in 2021, the last time we split our areas into separate votes, as we did this year.
This 43-unit chain still attracts plenty of locals with its island-inspired fare.Â
This is by far Fordâs Garageâs highest finish with our readers since 2019, when it finished 11th.
The 22-location chain, which utilizes the Ford Motor Companyâs logo, is located on the north side of S.R. 56 and features a wide variety of hand-crafted burgers and other better-than-the-average-burger-place food, plus a full-liquor bar.Â
Bubbaâs 33, the 27-unit sports bar chain from our friends at Texas Roadhouse, is another eatery that has finished higher with our readers this year than in any of the last five years.
Bubbaâs has been a solid top-20 finisher with our readers most years, but its combination of great food, sports and music videos attracted its most votes ever.Â
Welcome to the neighborhood, Cooperâs Hawk! The winery and restaurant chain, with more than 55 locations in ten U.S. states (including more than a dozen in Florida) began celebrating its Nov. 20 Grand Opening on S.R. 56 a few days earlier with some Friends & Family days and a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cutting (photo below left) on Nov. 18.Â
Photo above courtesy of North Tampa Bay Chamber.
As long-time Cooperâs Hawk Wine Club members who also have eaten at the restaurants in Tampa and Sarasota about two dozen times, Jannah and I were as excited about the Wesley Chapel opening as the rest of the community appears to be.
Founder and CEO Tim McEnery was on-hand for Cooperâs Hawkâs NTBC ribbon-cutting event and, since he opened his first location in Orland Park, IL, in 2005, the restaurant chainâs wines have won hundreds (nearly 600) of awards and the food (some of which is shown on this page) is definitely a cut above what you find at most chain eateries.
In addition, Wine Club members receive a number of outstanding benefits, including two free wine tastings (the âLuxâ tastings come with a small upcharge), accumulating points for each time you dine at the restaurant, a credit for free dining on your birthday and much more.Â
Tasty pan-roasted mahi-mahi
And, even though I used to wonder how a winery located in Woodridge, IL, could possibly offer a wide variety of delicious wines, after eight years of tastings and dozens of bottles that we have both enjoyed ourselves and given as gifts to other oenophiles, I can assure you that a Cooperâs Hawk Wine Club membership is the way to go. The grapes the company imports from every great winemaking region across the globe are blended into everything from Barbera to Zinfandel, with lots of options for both you sweet wine drinkers and for those who prefer a little dust on their palates when they imbibe.
And, if you prefer hard liquor or beer over wine, Cooperâs Hawk has an ultra-premium bar to meet your needs, too.
The best news of all is that although dining at Cooperâs Hawk isnât a 15-30-minute process, the service we have experienced so far has been super-attentive and on point.
Thereâs even a private dining area for up to 48 guests that can be divided into two 24-seat private rooms perfect for birthday parties and other special occasions.
Cooperâs Hawk Winery & Restaurant (28963 S.R. 56) is open every day for lunch & dinner. For more info, visit CHWinery.com or call (813) 755-4445 & tell GM Joseph McCracken & his staff that we sent you! â GNÂ
The area along Wesley Chapel Blvd. in front of the Lexington Oaks development is suddenly alive with new construction.Â
We previously reported about the nearly completed Sentosa Lexington apartments, located south of Lexington (Lex) Oaks Blvd., as well as about a new Moeâs 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.Â
And, although The Hub leasing agent Courtney Bissett-Hayes didnât confirm it for us, Shanks Indoor Golf & Bar (IGB) reported on its Facebook page that it is âComing Soon to Wesley Chapel â Nov./Dec. 2024.â
The Facebook announcement from Sept. 29 says, âShanks 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 ballâs 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.â
Our editorial researcher Joel Provenzano was able to locate a Pasco County development record stating that, âThe 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.â 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.Â
OâReilly Auto Parts Isnât ShanksÂ
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) â which seemed to have no windows so we assumed it wasnât a restaurant â and Joel found that it was an OâReilly Auto Parts store, not Shanks (or another restaurant), as I had originally hoped.Â
We had no further information about the building at our press time, as Joel couldnât 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 EventsÂ
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.Â
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 âShellsâ because people never spell her first name correctly, so she just calls herself âShell.â 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.Â
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)âs SmartStart location at The Grove.
Jonathan used his joint NTBC and Dade City Chamber ribbon-cutting event (above) to present Prepenseâs âCash Flow River: Our Philosophy of Marketing.â For more info about Prepense Marketing, call Jonathan at (352) 428-6067 or visit PrepenseSolutions.com.Â
