Raising Cane’s, the Baton Rouge, LA-based fast casual fried chicken chain founded by Todd Graves in 1996 that serves only fried chicken fingers (also available on a sandwich), crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast and cole slaw, will open tomorrow at 10 a.m. (at 25934 S.R. 54, Lutz, next to Rock & Brews), as previously announced in the print editions of the Neighborhood News. And we know a lot of you are pretty excited about it!
We were invited to attend the restaurant’s soft pre-opening VIP event earlier today and I have to say that we were all pretty impressed. Yes, the menu is simple, but it’s done right â the chicken fingers are lightly seasoned (NOT at all spicy!), super-crispy outside and moist on the inside. The fries are crispy and tasty (and seemingly not seasoned, other than lightly salted, which I appreciate), the Texas toast is legit and the cole slaw is creamy and has just a hint of sweetness.
If you only like spicy chicken, this is not the place for you, as even the Thousand Island-style Cane’s sauce offers no heat at all. But, if you like your chicken extra crispy and tasty, Raising Cane’s is definitely worth visiting!
For more info, stop in tomorrow anytime from 10 a.m.-1 a.m., visit RaisingCanes.com or call (813) 559-3590 â and please tell them the Neighborhood News sent you!
Whether or not you were one of the midwestern U.S. natives who lost your minds when it was first announced that Portillo’s Hot Dogs was coming to somewhere near the Tampa Premium Outlets, here’s your chance to check it out in person â at the main entrance to the Outlet Mall on the south side of S.R. 56 west of I-75.
The Portillo’s “Beef Bus” is currently sitting at the mall’s main entrance and it will only be there until 6 p.m. today! When we visited shortly after the Beef Bus first arrived, there were no lines whatsoever, but we’re guessing that will change as the day progresses, especially as our Portillo’s-crazed readers see this post.
Our new friends at the Portillo’s Beef Bus don’t know when or for sure where Portillo’s will open â it, of course, is still rumored to be taking over the space currently occupied by Rock & Brews by May or June of this year â but they have lots of Portillo’s “swag” to give away, including Buy 1, Get 1 Free cards, where if you buy any of the Chicago-based chain’s famous Italian beef, sausage or hot dog sandwiches, plus a drink and a side, you’ll receive one sandwich of equal or lesser value FREE at any of the chain’s Florida locations, including the closest one to us currently at 2102 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa! But, if you can’t make it to the mall today, we were given at least 25-50 of those BOGO cards to give to our readers!
I don’t believe the cards are valid for purchases at the Beef Bus today, but feel free to ask when you visit.
All you have to do is reply to this post “I love Portillo’s!” and we’ll be happy to send you one of these BOGO cards in the mail, while our supply lasts!
For more information about Portillo’s, visit Portillos.com.
Although we found other graphics submitted later by The Cheesecake Factory, this earlier map, which we only found on the Pasco County Development & Growth Updates Facebook page, has the most accurate representation of where the restaurant will be located in the current parking lot at the Tampa Premium Outlets.Â
Just before the start of the New Year (on Dec. 31), preliminary site plans were submitted to Pasco County for the hotly anticipated The Cheesecake Factory restaurant, which is expected to be located in the current parking lot at the busy Tampa Premium Outlets on S.R. 56 (see map).
We were able to talk with a source familiar with the project (but who asked not to be identified for the story) to get the inside scoop about a few more details with this plan.
Probably the most important piece of information weâre sure everyone is wondering about is âWhen is The Cheesecake Factory anticipated to finish construction and open its doors?â
Our source said that while the restaurant has not yet received the permits to begin building (so this is still mostly subjective), the restaurantâs ownership/development group is shooting to open during the third quarter of this year, which would likely put it opening just before the holidays â although that seems somewhat ambitious considering it hasnât even begun building yet.
Even so, when we asked, âCan you really get it done that fast?,â the response was a very confident âYes!â Our source also said that the company expecting about a three-week turnaround to get comments back from Pasco County, which means that some site work could begin as soon as this issue arrives in your mailbox, if things go according to plan.
In addition, while what was shown in the submittal on Dec. 31 was a building of a little more than 7,500 sq. ft., our source said that the plan has since been updated to be closer to about a 7,700 sq.-ft. building, which indicates that the company is still actively working on perfecting the layout even before getting comments back from the county. In addition to the indoor space, the restaurantâs outdoor seating area is shown to be about 1,500 sq. ft.
What About The Parking?
When asked about the parking situation, our source claimed that the net loss would only be about 20 spaces total for the mall â four of which are handicapped parking spaces that the source said would just be shifted over to the next parking aisle and not actually lost.
But, our detailed review of the proposed construction plan indicates the net loss will be closer to 60 regular parking spaces, with the four handicapped spaces being shifted as explained. So, which parking space loss is correct â 20 spaces or 60? Weâll have to get back to you on that one.
Meanwhile, the mallâs website states there are only about 40 handicapped-accessible parking spaces throughout the entire property, so any loss of handicapped parking would appear to be another problem.
As for how The Cheesecake Factory will be situated in the current mall parking lot, the restaurant is still shown as being located near the âcentralâ pedestrian front entrance of the mall, right off the northwest corner of that entranceâs roundabout, where the primary âTampa Premium Outletsâ sign is located. The main entrance of the restaurant and the outside seating area are both shown as facing that roundabout.
Since the restaurant was first announced, many people have wondered about how a mega restaurant like this could be getting built at this already-packed location.
According to public information on Pascoâ Countyâs permitting website, this restaurant development still falls within the mallâs total entitlements (the total amount of commercial space that is allowed to be built) that were approved by the countyâs Board of County Commissioners in the latest rezoning for the Cypress Creek Town Center Master Planned Unit Development (MPUD) in which the Outlet Mall is located). Those entitlements were approved back in February of 2019.
If you havenât yet driven to, or by, the new Chicken Guy! restaurant, which finally opened on Jan. 7, on the north side of S.R. 56 (across from the Tampa Premium Outlets, at 25769 Sierra Center Blvd.), well, letâs just say you might be the only person in Wesley Chapel who hasnât.
The brightly colored eatery, founded in 2018 and co-owned by restaurateur Robert Earl (the founder of the Planet Hollywood and Earl of Sandwich chains) and Food Network star Guy Fieri, has been packed virtually all the time from the moment it opened, especially the drive-through, which has caused some backups onto 56 from the traffic circle adjacent to the restaurant.
The Neighborhood News was on hand for both the Friends & Family event on Jan. 6 and the actual opening the next day, when (l.-r. in top photo) Marcelo Cardoza (the manager of culinary operations for Fieriâs Knuckle Sandwich, LLC), franchise co-owners Suhail Rifae and Moe Khalil were joined by Jason Taliaferro (the senior VP of Chicken Guy!) to introduce the Wesley Chapel/Lutz community to Chicken Guy!âs always-fresh chicken.
Fieri, the self-proclaimed âMayor of Flavortown,â offers several varieties of chicken at the new fast-casual chain, including his seasonal limited menu items like the pepperoni chicken parm sandwich (right photo, shown with Guy fries and the chopped cheese & chicken eggrolls), as well as âBig Bite,â two-tender sandwiches like the BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado & tomato; above photo, shown with mac & cheese and a thick, hand-spun Oreo Flavortown shake); the CG Classic and Buffalo Mac âNâ Cheese Sandwich.Â
All of the fried sandwiches and tenders come lightly seasoned, so you can add your favorite Fieri-created sauce from âThe Boss of Sauceâ list (below).
The good news is that if youâre not a fried chicken lover, all of the sandwiches and tenders also are available grilled, instead of fried, and there are two salad options (including the chopped chicken Caesar with chopped grilled tenders below left).Â
About the only menu items we havenât yet sampled are the fried chicken dumplings (topped with smoked bacon, green onions & sesame seeds) and a few shake varieties. Go give it a try!
For info, call (813) 344-3311 or visit ChickenGuy.com & tell GM Trevor McIntyre (below) I sent you!
Congratulations to the owners of the new Tous les Jours bakery franchise at 27209 S.R. 56 â in the former location of Capital Tacos.
Like the Tous les Jours inside the Lotte Plaza Market in New Tampa, the Wesley Chapel location offers a large selection of freshly baked croissants, pastries, donuts, breads and more â in both sweet and savory varieties â as well as cakes, coffee drinks, teas, smoothies, lemonades and much more.
Photographer Charmaine George and I have visited the new Tous les Jours twice and the first thing we both noticed is how much nicer and more spacious the new location is than the one in the Lotte Plaza Market food court. There are several tables, as well as couches, for enjoying your purchases inside the shop, which in no way still resembles the old Capital Tacos.
As for the baked goods, among the sweet options weâve sampled are an almond croissant, a large Mont Blanc pastry (which is like a huge, crispy outside-flaky inside cinnamon roll), a strawberry croissant filled not only with super-fresh strawberries, but also whipped cream, and a mini caramel apple pie. The savory items weâve tried and enjoyed include a ham-&-cheese croissant, a spinach and feta pastry (which is both sweet and savory), a croque monsieur sandwich (a grilled French-style ham and cheese sandwich) and a sausage onion pastry, which is like a hot dog surrounded by a pastry with onions, cheese and ketchup. There also are several different kinds of milk breads, full bread loaves stuffed with whipped cream and so many more. We havenât tried any of the cakes yet, but give us time!
As for beverages, Iâve enjoyed both the vanilla latte and caramel macchiato and Charmaine and I agreed that the fresh, thick, hand-spun mango smoothie (below) was delicious. There also is a huge selection of hot and iced teas available and more!
Tous les Jours is a French-inspired â its name literally means âEvery Dayâ in French) â Korean-owned chain of bakeries with 1,700 locations around the world, including more than 100 (and growing) in the U.S.
The Wesley Chapel Tous les Jours is open every day from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., and although the menu doesnât include some of the freshly made sandwich items other Tous les Jours stores carry, the hope here is that theyâll add some of those items in the future.
For more info, call (813) 388-5612 or visit tljus.com. â GNÂ
