The map above shows the 1.33-mile portion of Old Pasco Rd. (from north of Deedra Dr. to north of Overpass Rd.) that is being widened by B.R.W. Contractors. The southern portion of Old Pasco Rd., which connects to Wesley Chapel Blvd., and the northern portion, which connects to S.R. 52, are not shown on this map.
Now that the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOC) has voted unanimously (on Oct. 10) to award the nearly $22-million contract to widen a 1.33-mile-long segment of Old Pasco Rd. from north of Deedra Dr. to north of Overpass Rd., the contractor â B.R.W. Contractors â has 600 days to complete the project, which means that this first phase of a planned three-phase widening of Old Pasco Rd is not expected to be completed until June 2025.
The first phase of the widening is actually the middle portion of the seven-mile-long Old Pasco Rd. corridor, which connects Wesley Chapel Blvd./C.R. 54 to S.R. 52 in San Antonio.
Rooker Properties, LLC, which is developing the North Tampa Bay 75 Industrial Park (see rendering below) â an 800,000+ sq- ft. warehouse project in four buildings, of which the first 187,000-sq.-ft. building has been completed â has provided up to 84 feet of right-of-way (R/W) from the southern end of its property (north of Deedra Dr., closer to Sonny Dr.) for the project.
The rendering above shows the location of the four-building Rooker Industrial Property on Old Pasco Rd., south of Overpass Rd. and KB Homesâ Sanctuary Ridge subdivision.
Pasco had previously said that no certificates of occupancy could be given to the Rooker development until this segment of Old Pasco Rd. was widened, but the BOC lifted that requirement by unanimous vote in March of this year because the project was already designed, funded and required no R/W acquisition. In addition, a temporary access plan will be used to allow vehicles to safely enter and leave the industrial park when the widening project begins.
B.R.W. Contractors was one of five contractors to bid on the project after the county put the contract out for bids in June.
As part of the contract, the traffic signal at Old Pasco Rd. and Overpass Rd. will be improved, and additional traffic signals will be installed at Lindenhurst Dr. and at one of the access points to the industrial park.
Under the terms of the first segmentâs contract, this portion of Old Pasco Rd. will be widened from two lanes to four, with 12-foot-wide lanes, a 22-foot-wide raised median and 5-foot-wide bike lanes on both sides of the roadway.
The planned second phase of the project, which has been designed and is funded by the county in fiscal year 2027, will widen Old Pasco Rd. from the southern terminus of the current phase (north of Deedra Dr.) to north of Wesley Chapel Blvd.
Pasco currently does not have funding in place, nor has it acquired all of the needed R/W, to widen Old Pasco Rd. from north of Overpass Rd. to S.R. 52. That segment includes Cypress Creek Middle & High Schools and the Pasco Hernando State College Instructional Performing Arts Center.
So, the widening of the first segment getting under way, it will take several more years before the full length of Old Pasco Rd. can be widened.
John Driskell Hopkins, the co-founder of the Zac Brown Band, was in our area with the band last weekend for two shows (Nov 3-4) at the MidFlorida Amphitheater.
Between those two concerts, Hopkins (who is suffering from a slow-progressing form of ALS), and his own four-piece band made a stop at TrebleMakers Dueling Piano Bar in The Grove for a show to benefit his âHop On A Cureâ nonprofit foundation.
The show â which included some of Hopâs original compositions, as well as the Zac Brown hit âToesâ (Hopkins has a writing credit on that song), plus popular songs by Billy Joel and Tom Petty â raised just shy of $20,000 for Hop On A Cure.
In addition to the music, the highlights of the afternoon were the buffet meal included with each show ticket donated by TrebleMakers owners Jamie & Joe Hess and Lee Bevan, and the live auctioning off of two Taylor guitars signed by the entire Zac Brown band.
The current construction at The Shoppes at Cypress Creek.Â
Although itâs 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 â Fazoliâs 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.Â
The Take 5 Oil Change facility has been open for several weeks now in what is being called The Shoppes at Cypress Creek.Â
Well, even though only the Fazoliâs 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 Woodieâs Wash Shack) with a drive-through lane, which weâre assuming will be Fazoliâs, since all of the chainâs current locations (including the nearest one on E. Busch Bvd.) have a drive-through.Â
The developmentâs site plan.
Based on the developmentâs 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.Â
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.Â
More About Fazoliâs
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.Â
The Ultimate Sampler (fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti & meatballs, penne w/meat sauce and lasagne w/ meat sauce.
The 35-year-old companyâs slogan is âFast. Fresh. Italian.â and fans of the brand say the breadsticks are âeven better than Olive Gardenâs.â
Well, Iâve never been a fan of Olive Gardenâs 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, Fazoliâs features pizzas, pastas (including baked pastas like lasagne and chicken parmigiana), âSnacks & Shareablesâ (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 BarberitosÂ
The burrito bowl at Barberitos.Â
According to Barberitos.com, the Athens, GA-based fast-casual Southwestern cuisine eatery was founded in 2000 by Downing Barber. The restaurantâs slogan is âFood âą Community âą People.âÂ
The âComing Soonâ notification I found says that Barberitos features, âfarm-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.â
The nearest to us of the 50+ Barberitos throughout the southeastern U.S. is in Panama City, FL, so I guess I wonât be able to visit one anytime soon.
John Driskell Hopkins, who has earned fame as a guitarist and vocalist with the Zac Brown Band, was diagnosed with ALS in Dec. 2021. Since Mar. 2022, he has been raising money for his own âHop On A Cureâ nonprofit to help find a cure for the dreaded disease. Hopkins and his trio will play a fund raising show at Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant on Nov. 4. (Photo: Dave Kotinski, Getty)
Now that Halloween is ending, if youâre looking for something fun to do that also will help support a great cause, you should get your tickets now to the âHop On A Cureâ fund raiser to find a cure for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as âLou Gehrigâs Disease,â that will be held this Saturday, November 4, beginning at 1:30 p.m., at Treble Makers Dueling Piano Restaurant & Bar at The Grove.
John Driskell Hopkins, affectionately know as âHopâ by his bandmates in the Zac Brown Band and his other friends (including Treble Makers owner Jamie Hess), was diagnosed with ALS in December of 2021 and started his âHop On A Cureâ 501(c)(3) nonprofit in March of 2022 to raise money to help find a cure for this dreaded nervous system disease, which currently has no cure.
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Jamie and Hop and although he admits that his guitar playing, speech and ability to walk have definitely slowed since being diagnosed, he feels fortunate that his ALS is a slow-moving version of the illness.
âI have a friend who was diagnosed in his 20s who lived almost 30 years with it, but other people die within just a couple of years,â says Hopkins. âIt affects everyone a little differently.â
Although his Wikipedia.com profile calls Hopkins the bass player in the Zac Brown Band, he says he only played bass on the first three albums. He was the bandâs co-founder with Brown and its deep harmony voice for the last 18 years. He also has writing credits on some of the bandâs top hits.Â
Hopkins will be bringing his John Driskell Hopkins Trio â which includes drummer Mike Rizzi, who also is a close friend of Jamieâs from high school â to play some of the bandâs original compositions, rock and country covers and some Zac Brown favorites, like (maybe) âToes,â on which he earned a writing credit.
âHop On A Cure raised over $1 million our first year,â Hopkins says. âOur goal is to raise $2 million in our second full year.â
Hopkins, who got his start in Tallahassee in the early â90s, still plays guitar, sings and tours with the Zac Brown Band (which is famous for hits like âChicken Friedâ and its four platinum albums), as well as with his trio, and says he plans to keep playing and touring for as long as he can. âMy strength and agility arenât what they once were,â Hop told me. âBut I plan to keep working at this until we find a cure for ALS.âÂ
Hopkins was one of more than 20,000 people in the U.S. living with ALS, which usually afflicts people ages 40-70.
Tickets for the fund-raising event at Treble Makers on Nov. 4 cost $40 per person and include a buffet meal, Angels & Outlaws Live (2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.), and Hop and his trio (4 p.m.-5 p.m.).
âWeâre only going to sell 300 tickets and every dollar raised will be donated to Hop On A Cure,â Hess says. âHop is a great guy and I just want to help him find a cure.â
Wesley Chapel, New Tampa and the surrounding areas are â fortunately or unfortunately â known for being overrun by regional and national chain restaurants, nail salons, multi-story self-storage facilities and, of course, huge car wash buildings.
And, while some of these car wash facilities are locally owned and/or regional chains. the trend in this industry is in the growth of large conglomerates offering you the opportunity to have your car washed by giant machines in just a few minutes while you stay seated in your vehicle with the gear shift in âNeutralâ and the windows closed. Most of these car wash facilities offer recurring monthly memberships that the companies are hoping youâll use like many people do gym memberships â meaning they hope you use them as little as possible or not at all as you continue to pay each month for the equivalent price of two or three jacked-up individual washes.
While they are obviously profitable, why do we already have â and seem to need â so many of them?
Pretty much anytime Iâm on Facebook, I see someone in one of the many Wesley Chapel Facebook groups making a snide comment about how many car washes we have in and around our area.Â
Woodieâs Wash Shack, which opened on S.R. 54 in Feb. 2022, west of the Tampa Premium Outlets, plans to open a Wesley Chapel location on Oakley Blvd. near The Grove. (
So, why are there so many dang car washes? While some online critics believe theyâre all money laundering (no pun intended) fronts, the fact is that they are hugely profitable, especially when theyâre owned by a large national or regional company.
One industry official, who asked to not be identified for this story, says itâs because, âjust as McDonaldâs isnât really in the hamburger business, but in the real estate business (at least according to the 2016 movie âThe Founder,â starring Michael Keaton as McDonaldâs founder Ray Kroc), these big car wash conglomerates are buying up valuable land, putting a car wash on them and, many times, selling the land at a huge profit a few years later.â
However, Glen Stygar, a partner in Woodieâs Wash Shack, which has 16 Florida locations, including one that opened in Feb. 2022 on S.R. 54 in Lutz (less than a mile west of the Tampa Premium Outlets), says there are more reasons why car washes keep popping up in affluent areas across the country.
âFor one thing,â Stygar says, âpeople in todayâs fast-paced world no longer want to have to wash their cars themselves or pay someone a lot of money and spend many hours detailing their vehicles, and they donât have to as much anymore because they can get a membership at a local car wash and have their car washed as many times a month or a week as they want, for one low price.âÂ
He adds that memberships are the biggest reason places like Woodieâs and big chains like Mister Car Wash (with more than 400 locations nationwide, including several in our area) and Tidal Wave Auto Spa (with nearly 200, including one between Zaxbyâs and Aldi near Costco) continue to proliferate everywhere.
In fact, Woodieâs has another location planned (but not yet under construction) on Oakley Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, which will one day be a neighbor to the new Super Target store in The Grove.Â
Mister Car Wash has 400+ U.S locations, including this one in New Tampa and three more in & near Wesley Chapel.Â
As I mentioned on page 1 of this issue, it is very much like the fitness facility model that has worked for decades. Many people who buy a membership at an initially very low price (that goes up after a 1-3-month trial period) rarely or even never use that membership, but continue to pay month after month until they finally either cancel or begin using it enough to get their moneyâs worth. Stygar wouldnât say that Woodieâs hopes youâll never use your membership â and he did say that the companyâs policy is to never give you a hard time to cancel â but as someone who paid for a membership for three months and only used it twice in that time, I certainly can understand how this can be a profitable business model.
Car washes also arenât as labor-intensive as they once were â fewer people insist that someone dry their cars after they come out of the machine (and most offer you free cloths to dry your car yourself) â and while the vacuums also are free when you get your car washed, they no longer have people vacuuming your vehicle for you.
Mister Car Wash is the current local market leader, having taken over two local Clean Machine locations on BBD in New Tampa, and with two local locations on S.R. 54 (one in Wesley Chapel and one in Lutz), but there are currently ten drive-through membership-based car wash places in and around Wesley Chapel â and more are on the way.Â
Tidal Wave Auto Spa has 194 U.S. locations, including this one next to Costco and 12 total in Florida, with five more coming soon.Â
And of course, the list in the next column doesnât include the wash-it-yourself car washes, hand auto detailing places or drive-through car washes at local gas stations.
As for pricing, the cheapest prices we found among the membership car washes were at The Palms Car Wash on Post Oak Blvd., where a single âExpressâ wash costs just $5 and an Express membership is just $14.95 a month. The most expensive prices we found were at Tidal Wave, with the cheapest single wash being $12 and the most expensive being the Graph-X4 wash for $30. Monthly memberships at Tidal Wave range from $23.97 to $49.97 per month.
Weâll look into another local favorite â self-storage places â in a future issue.
