More Assisted Living, Home Decor, Food Options For Wesley Chapel

With the Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch set to open its doors in December, another assisted living facility may be on its way to Wesley Chapel.

According to plans filed with Pasco County, TLC Management is looking to build a 125,000-sq.ft. residence that will include an adult living and skilled nursing facility at the corner of Eagleston Blvd. and Stockton Dr. in Seven Oaks.

TLC Management had its pre-application meeting with county staffers last month.

The proposed 9.7-acre site is located in Seven Oaks between Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and I-75. According to conceptual site plans, the facility would have more than 230 parking spots and offer private rooms, dining and activities and plenty of green space for its residents.

TLC Management is an Indiana-based company that was created in 1987 with a focus on independent and assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation and memory care. In 30 years, it has created 15 health and rehabilitation centers, as well as two assisted living and independent retirement communities in Indiana.

The company does already have two locations in Florida — Bridgewater Park Assisted Living in Ocala and The Village at Vienna Square in Winter Haven.

According to the Indianapolis Star, the company’s most recent project was a $14-million health and rehabilitation center in Indianapolis, which was expected to create 140 jobs and accommodate 199 patients.

TLC Management is owned by brothers Dwight, Gary and Randy Ott. The brothers were inspired to get into the business by their grandmother, who operated a nursing home in Iowa.

Messages left with TLC Management were not returned.

Home Decor Getting A Boost

Shoppers looking for home décor ideas soon will have plenty of new options in Wesley Chapel, as Cost Plus World Market is close to opening and At Home may not far behind.

Cost Plus World Market, which is under construction at 5833 Wesley Grove Blvd. in The Grove plaza, will be the first store shoppers see when they turn right on Pink Flamingo Ln. and enter the shopping center at its southernmost point. It will replace the AT&T store, although the space is being modified to account for the larger home décor store.

Although Cost Plus World Market filed its original plans with the county in 2016, The Grove let everyone know it was coming soon recently hanging a “Cost Plus World Market Coming Soon” banner at the construction site.

The 18,600-sq.-ft. store will be located next to Bed Bath & Beyond and Cost Plus World Market is a subsidiary of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.

Based in California, Cost Plus World Market specializes in an eclectic assortment of unique items for the home, from furniture to jewelry and accessories, as well as gourmet food and drinks. It claims to sell items imported from more than 50 countries.

Cost Plus World Market has 277 stores nationwide. The Wesley Chapel location will be the second in the Tampa Bay area, as a location in Clearwater opened on Aug. 3.

It could soon have competition from At Home, which is looking to join the busy scene just a few miles down Wesley Chapel Blvd./S.R. 54, south of S.R. 56, tucked behind the Tampa Premium Outlets and just off the new extension of Wesley Chapel Blvd.

Guggenheim Development of Dallas has filed plans with the county to put At Home in a 108,490-sq.-ft. retail space just south of Grand Cypress Blvd., and south and east of Costco.

The developer met with county staff earlier this month. According to site plans filed at that time, the proposed store would have 485 parking spaces, and would abut another still-unnamed 72,000-sq.-ft. retail store.

At Home claims to offer the largest and freshest assortment of home décor items, at the lowest prices, including its own unique products all sold in a “no-frills warehouse without all the commissioned salespeople.”

The store sells home and wall décor, furniture, pillows, rugs, housewares, seasonal items and much more.

Beep beep! The Taco Bus is rolling into Wesley Chapel

The Taco Bus is rolling into Wesley Chapel.

According to permitting records filed with Pasco County, the popular food-truck-turned-mini-restaurant is planning to set up its ninth Tampa Bay location within a month inside the Tailgate Mart convenience store on the northeast corner of Wesley Chapel Blvd. and S.R. 56, behind the Shell Station.

“We just finished getting permitting done and are aiming to get that location up and running by September,’’ said Heather Chaudhry, director of marketing and operations, adding that another location in Treasure Island is also set to open around the same time.

The Tailgate Mart, located at 25195 S.R. 54, currently has a deli that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner items, but it will be remodeled to accommodate the latest entry into the busy eatery scene along S.R. 56/54 corridor.

Chaudhry said Taco Bus typically prefers stand-alone locations, but they do make exceptions in high-volume areas, like the intersection of S.R. 56 and S.R. 54/Wesley Chapel Blvd.

“We’re not looking to do many locations like this,’’ she said. “Wesley Chapel is an up-and-coming location, so it’s a very good place to be, with all the development and expansion in that area.”

Taco Bus has achieved something of a cult status since its humble and quirky beginnings in 1996 as a converted school bus operating as a food truck on E. Hillsborough Ave. selling authentic Mexican fare.  Chef Rene Valenzuela quickly expanded to St. Petersburg, before taking the food truck concept inside and opening a restaurant in downtown Tampa, although he retained the school bus setting and charm.

Taco Bus achieved notoriety in 2011 when it was featured on an episode of Food Network’s Man v. Food, as well as an episode of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

The nearest current location to Wesley Chapel is on E. Fletcher Ave. in the University of South Florida area. With its late hours, affordable prices and popular conchintina pibil (slow-roasted pork), el hefe burritos, 99 cent empanadas and $2 tacos on Tuesdays, it is a popular stop for local college students.

“Wesley Chapel is not far from many of our other locations,’’ Chaudhry said. “We’re lucky in that aspect, that we have some exposure in the area. We are always looking to bring the bus experience to our other customers in the area.”

The Taco Bus will be located in the westernmost portion of the Cypress Creek Town Center DRI, directly north and across S.R. 56 from a proposed Aldi store.

Directly west of the Taco Bus is the Brightwork Crossing project, which is expected to bring a Wawa and Burger King to S.R. 54 as well. Representatives from both of those companies have already met with the county to pursue permits.

Burger King is looking to construct a 3,349-sq.-ft. restaurant on S.R. 54, just west of the proposed 5,636-sq.-ft. Wawa.