Chicken, Chicken & More Chicken?
The Wesley Chapel area isn’t exactly lacking for chicken-oriented restaurants, considering the recent openings of Chick’n Fun, Zaxby’s and King of the Coop, as well as the now-under-construction Chicken Salad Chick. And, don’t forget chicken places that have been established in Wesley Chapel for years, such as PDQ, Popeye’s and Wing Stop.
But, it appears that we’ll still have to make room for another.
According to Pasco County permitting records, Slim Chickens met with county planners on Feb. 8 at a pre-application meeting, which generally allows prospective applicants to meet and discuss the specifics of their proposals.
A “quick look plan” presented to the county shows the 2,400-sq.-ft. restaurant (with 42 parking spaces) would be located on the southeast corner of Old Pasco Rd. and Wesley Chapel Blvd., west of Advance Auto Parts, and less than a 1/2-mile from Chick’n Fun.
The plans also include a 1,406-sq.-ft. auto service center, which would be in between the Slim Chickens and Advance Auto Parts.
Slim Chickens is a fast-casual chain that specializes in chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches, salads, wraps and chicken & waffles, as well as other items. It is headquartered in Fayetteville, AR, and has more than 100 locations in more than 30 states. The only location near Wesley Chapel is on N. Boundary Blvd. near Macdill Air Force Base in South Tampa, and there are three other locations in the Florida panhandle. For more information, visit SlimChickens.com. — JCC
Woodie’s Wash Shack Hosts A Spectacular Grand Opening!
If you missed the Grand Opening and official Ribbon Cutting ceremony for the new Woodie’s Wash Shack-Cypress Creek (located at 24749 S.R. 54 in Lutz, about a mile west of the Tampa Premium Outlets) on Feb. 4, you missed one of the best North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon cuttings we’ve attended in years.
First of all, there was free Tampa Bay Buccaneers gear being given away, appearances by a variety of Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) vehicles and K-9 officers (bottom photos), delicious, free food from Bubba’s 33 and Honeybaked Ham and, perhaps best of all, free car washes for every vehicle that came to the party and unlimited top-level monthly wash memberships for just $9.99 per month for the first three months.
But, the even bigger news of the day was that Woodie’s owner Don Phillips (who says he based his growing local chain of four wash shacks on the California surf era of the late 1950s and early 1960s) and local franchisee Harry Jenkins also presented a $10,000 check to Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco for his K-9 Officer program. Phillips even mentioned that the money will go, in part, to the training of a new K-9 officer, appropriately named Woodie.
And, for those who have seen the sign at The Grove at Wesley Chapel that another Woodie’s location is coming soon, Jenkins says that location will likely open in the next 6-7 months. For more information, stop by or visit WoodiesWash.com. — GN
Carrabba’s Italian Grill Goes Vertical!
Even though we’ve previously reported (multiple times) that Carrabba’s Italian Grill would be opening between Aussie Grill and Bonefish Grill on the north side of S.R. 56, we’ve seen some recent comments on Facebook indicating that some of you still don’t know what is being built in that area.
Well, now that Carrabba’s has gone vertical and posted a sign (photo), there is no need for additional speculation. The Bloomin’ Brands-owned Italian eatery, originally founded in Texas by Johnny Carrabba and Damian Mandola, already has 220+ locations in 29 states, and is expected to open this 69th Florida location (and second with a Lutz zip code) within the next 3-6 months. — GN
Kumquat Pie Is Now Pasco’s ‘Official’ Pie!
Congratulations to the little known and oft-overlooked Kumquat Pie, which was recently declared the official pie of Pasco County. The Pasco Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the resolution to honor the pie on Feb. 8, after the Tourist Development Council for Experience Florida’s Sports Coast voted the make the pie the official pie.
“Kumquat pie is an iconic dish in Pasco,” said District 2 commissioner Mike Moore, “and it’s only appropriate it’s now our official pie.”
Key lime and apple have filed protests, but they never had a chance against the mighty kumquat. It may look like a misshaped baby orange, but the grape-sized fruit has found a place in Pasco County’s heart, dating back to the late 1800s. And of course, Pasco is well-known for its annual Dade City Kumquat Festival, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. — JCC
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