Business Briefs – Whole Foods & Aldi Updates, Joann’s Is Closing & Nothing Bundt Cakes Opens! 

The updated site plan submitted to Pasco County for a five-building commercial plaza in the Meadow Pointe area of Wesley Chapel that is expected to include a Whole Foods market. (Source: Pasco County)
Whole Foods Moving Forward? 

In mid-February, updated plans were submitted to Pasco County for a high-end retail center on the long-vacant land north of Aronwood Blvd. and east of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel that previously was announced as having both a Whole Foods grocery store and a Life Time Fitness center. Those original plans, filed in March of 2024, were withdrawn two days later. 

The new plans — submitted by privately held commercial developer SJC Ventures — do not mention any of the proposed tenants, but they look similar enough to the former site plan that did include Whole Foods and Life Time for some local news media to assume that those major tenants are likely still part of the new five-building (totalling 160,468 sq. ft.) plans (see site plan, above). 

The new plan calls for “Major Tenant A,” believed to be Whole Foods, occupying a 35,518-sq.-ft. building, with “Major Tenant B,” believed to be Life Time Fitness, in the site’s easternmost 84,500-sq.-ft. building. Other buildings included in the new site plan are a 10,416-sq. ft. “Shops” building adjacent to Major Tenant A, and two additional “Shops” buildings of 16,017 and 14,017 sq. ft. at the southwest corner of the site. 

If ultimately approved by Pasco, which is expected, the new plaza likely won’t be ready to open until 2027. 

Tampa Palms Joann Fabrics Closing? 

Also in mid-February, a judge approved the second declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy by Joann Fabrics & Crafts that will allow the retailer to close 500 of its 800 U.S. stores. 

Among the locations already holding a “Going Out of Business” sale is the Joann’s located at 6234 Commerce Palms Blvd., in the Market Square at Tampa Palms plaza (photo left). 

“Right-sizing our store footprint is a critical part of our efforts to ensure the best path forward for Joann,” the company said in a prepared news release on Feb. 14. “We anticipate the store closures to occur over the next few months, although some stores may close within a shorter or longer time period.” We had not heard at our press time when the Tampa Palms Joann’s will actually close. 

For more information, call (813) 910-8996 or visit Joann.com. 

New Tampa Winn-Dixie Will Become An Aldi! 

We reported a couple of issues ago that the Winn-Dixie supermarket located at 6425 County Line Rd. had closed and was being converted to an Aldi market, since Aldi had purchased all of the remaining links in the Winn-Dixie chain. 

However, Aldi sold 170 of its Winn-Dixie stores to a private consortium of investors in Feb. However, we now have it on good authority from another tenant in the same plaza that Aldi has, in fact, signed a long-term lease for the former New Tampa Winn-Dixie. 

We did not know at our press time, however, when the conversion will be completed or when the third Aldi in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area is expected to open. 

Nothing Bundt Cakes Is Open! 

If your sweet tooth has been acting up, local residents can now get their fix of Nothing Bundt Cakes, which opened in mid-February in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center at 16047 Tampa Palms Blvd. W (right photo). 

The new store — the second in our distribution areas (the other is in the Shops at Wiregrass mall) — features the same delicious bundt cakes in a variety of sizes and flavors (with that delectable icing) as the chain’s 600+ other stores in the U.S. and Canada. 

Founded in Las Vegas in 1997 by Dena Tripp and Debbie Shwetz, Nothing Bundt Cakes has been named the #1 Favorite Brand in America, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. 

I got to sample the new Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor on my first visit to the new bakery. I’ll definitely be visiting again soon! 

For more info, call (813) 344-5959 or visit NothingBundtCakes.com.— GN

New Tampa’s Winn-Dixie To Become Another Aldi

As previously announced, the last remaining New Tampa Winn-Dixie supermarket, located at 6425 County Line Rd. (in the same plaza as LA Fitness), closed on Dec. 8 and is in the process of being converted to the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area’s third ALDI grocery store. 

We were told that it would be several months before the new ALDI would open, but this Germany-based international brand already has nearly 2,500 U.S. supermarkets and more than 200 stores in Florida, including at 18002 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. in New Tampa and at 2215 Sun Vista Dr. in Lutz (in front of Costco). 

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the still-open (at least at our press time) Winn-Dixie in the Towne Center of Wesley Chapel plaza on Wesley Chapel Blvd. told us there are no plans to close that store. — GN 

New Tampa’s Winn-Dixie To Become Another Aldi; Sindbad Gets Ready To Open in Pebble Creek 

As previously announced, the last remaining New Tampa Winn-Dixie supermarket, located at 6425 County Line Rd. (in the same plaza as LA Fitness), closed on Dec. 8 and is in the process of being converted to the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area’s third ALDI grocery store. 

At our press time, we didn’t know how long it would take for the new ALDI to open, but this Germany-based international brand already has nearly 2,500 U.S. supermarkets and more than 200 stores in Florida, including at 18002 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. in New Tampa and at 2215 Sun Vista Dr. in Lutz (in front of Costco). 

Sindbad To Replace Bang-Bang! 

Although the tasty Bang-Bang! Bowls store in the Pebble Creek Collection (at 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Suite C-2) lasted less than a year, coming soon (maybe even by the time you’re reading this) to that location is the second Sindbad Tampa restaurant, which features smoothies, juices, crepes, desserts, cakes and ice cream. 

The original Sindbad location is at 10933 N. 56th St., Temple Terrace, and even though the shop has a Middle Eastern-sounding name (Sindbad the Sailor is a fictional character from Baghdad), the sign now posted in the Pebble Creek location would seem to indicate a more Mexican-inspired menu. Among the items listed on that sign include Elote (Mexican street corn), Mangonada (a Mexican frozen beverage), Aguas Frescas (Mexican fresh fruit juice smoothies), Frutas con Nieve (water-based Mexican ice cream) and more Latin fare. However, the New Tampa Sindbad, like its Temple Terrace counterpart, also will feature some delicious-looking Sindbad Waffles (right) with fresh strawberries, blueberries and Nutella and you can even add ice cream. 

Until the New Tampa location opens, visit or call the Temple Terrace Sindbad at (813) 443-9692 & please tell them I sent you! — GN 

ALDI Set To Open July 29!

The New Tampa Aldi opens Thursday.

New Tampa’s first Aldi store will hold it’s eagerly-anticipated Grand Opening on Thursday, July 29.

The store, located at the corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. at the site of the former Ruby Tuesday restaurant, will be 19,160 square feet with 106 parking spaces.

“Our new Tampa, Florida, store is on track to open Thursday, July 29,” Matt Thon, the Haines City, FL, division vice president for ALDI, told us in an email. “We look forward to serving Tampa residents and providing them with the best grocery shopping experience and will reach out with more information closer to the Grand Opening.”

As part of the construction of Aldi (18002 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy.), a new sidewalk has also been built on Highwoods Preserve Pkwy., to aid pedestrians who are shopping, as well as those using the bus stop at the same corner.

Aldi is a popular German discount grocer that carries brands that many shoppers here in the U.S. may not recognize, including their own. More than 90 percent of the brands Aldi carries are exclusive brands. Aldi is investing more than $5 billion to remodel more than 1,000 existing stores, while opening roughly 120 new stores in 2021.

While no specific Grand Opening details have been announced, typically the stores will hand out things like free eco-friendly bags, samples and prizes, like gift cards. Store hours are 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

When we know more, we’ll let you know.

New Tampa Aldi Is Under Way

The likelihood of a transformation at the old Sweetbay isn’t the only new thing coming to New Tampa.

In fact, The Walk at Highwoods Preserve area located right across the street Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from the former Sweetbay may be a busy corner in the coming new year.

The busy area already has added three new restaurants — Oronzo Honest Italian (see story on pages 26-27), Michi Ramen and Gu Wei — and an F45 Fitness center this year. It also has seen big box electronics giant Best Buy and home furnishings chain Pier 1 Imports close up shop, potentially giving way to future new tenants.

And, additional Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. businesses — the former Starbucks and Jimmy John’s sub shop — are being prepped for new tenants.

And yes, construction has finally begun on the new Aldi grocery store on the southwest corner of Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. and BBD.

On Nov. 23, crews began tearing down the old Ruby Tuesday restaurant. By Thanksgiving, the 2.36-acre lot, purchased by Leon Capital Group in 2018 for $2.82 million, was mainly home to a mangled mess of metal and concrete.

The Aldi was approved back in January. It will be 19,160 square feet — almost four times the size of Ruby Tuesday — with 106 parking spaces.

Developers of the popular German discount chain also are adding a sidewalk for pedestrians and those who use the bus stop at the same corner. 

There is still no word about when, or if, the once-planned $5-million renovation of the AMC Theater at Highwoods Preserve is happening. 

Unfortunately, the movie industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. In October, AMC warned investors that it could run out of cash by the end of the year. Around the same time, Regal Cinemas shut down all its theaters.

FOR WHOM THE (TACO)BELL TOLLS: Well, it’s official — according to City of Tampa permitting records, the Circle K at the corner of  Doña Michelle Dr. and BBD is expanding, and that expansion will eliminate the Taco Bell and Shell-branded gas station currently attached to it.

Circle K Stores, Inc., which had a pre-application consultation in August looking to redevelop the existing Shell gas station to become a larger Circle K gas station, is going ahead with those plans.

A site plan submitted Nov. 24 shows the current convenience store expanding to a 5,187-sq.-ft. store.

The Taco Bell is being replaced in by five parking spots and a sitting area, as well as a second proposed entrance/ exit behind the convenience store. The canopy over the gas pumps also will bear the Circle K logo.

The AMC Theater, which had to postpone a major renovation project after being been hit hard by Covid-19, and the former Ruby Tuesday restaurant, which will be replaced by Aldi, also are on the east side on BBD.