New Tampa’s Favorite Bars!

Based on the results of our 2019 Reader Survey:

Owners John Kuemmel and Shawn Diehl have done exactly what they wanted to do when they decided nearly three years ago to fulfill a 25-year dream they shared of opening their own bar. In the heart of Tampa Palms, they have spun an inventive menu, ice cold beer, premium liquor and a unique atmosphere into our readers’ favorite bar in New Tampa to enjoy a night out.

 What’s not to like (other than the ridiculously hard questions on Tuesday Trivia Nights)?

A bar that has outstanding food — and The Fat Rabbit finished just behind Acropolis as our readers’ sixth favorite restaurant in New Tampa, too — is never a bad thing.

The chicken wings are arguably the best around — make sure you check out the Buffalo Garlic Ranch — and there’s even a Real McCoy burger named after former Tampa Bay Buc and Tampa Palms resident Gerald McCoy and a fresh Catch of the Week. And, the crispy tater tots are truly divine.

The Fat Rabbit now even brews a Transplant IPA and Concrete & Gold Pilsner in-house, with more tanks on the way.

And, the decor gives the Fat Rabbit an elegant look with a comfortable neighborhood feel that keeps you coming back for more. — JCC

2. Stonewood Grill & Tavern has been among New Tampa’s favorite places to drink since the moment it opened, and since our readers obviously also love the food (see previous page), too, there’s no doubt that Stonewood is here to stay.

3. Mr. Dunderbak’s  has never had a full-alcohol bar, but its huge variety of beers from around the world, unique German-inspired menu, gifts and even chocolates keep it one of our readers’ favorite bars year after year, which often makes it hard to find a seat at that bar. 

4. Chili’s Grill & Bar in New Tampa continues to receive lots of votes in our Reader Survey every year. Even though it’s a chain, there’s no easy access to it from BBD and the restaurants next door to it keep going out of business, it keeps on rolling. ‘Nuff said.

5. Peabody’s in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms is another long-time favorite bar that also has great food (especially pizza & wings). Plus, it’s New Tampa’s adult play place, with tons of TVs, pool tables, darts and a younger-skewing crowd.

Urban Air Adventure Park Set Open In Tampa Palms Jan. 25!

It won’t be long before Wesley Chapel has its own “trampoline park” at The Grove, and it’s own bowling and laser tag center at Main Event on S.R. 56, but Urban Air Adventure Park will beat both of them to the punch when it opens next week in Tampa Palms.

Urban Air Adventure Park will hold its Grand Opening on Saturday, January 25, 10 a.m. The entertainment center is located at 6250 Commerce Palms Dr. in the Market Square at Tampa Palms shopping center anchored by BJ’s Wholesale Club.

Similar to openings at new Chick-Fil-As and Wawas, assistant general manager Chris Schade says the opening of the 28,000-sq.-ft. facility will be an “event.” At other Urban Air openings, he says people have camped overnight for a chance to be one of the 200 to win free access to the adventure center for a year. Schade says a DJ will be on hand the morning of the Grand Opening, and there also will be donuts and other goodies.

Urban Air Adventure Park is a Texas-based entertainment center franchise with locations all over the U.S.. The New Tampa location will be the company’s 10th in Florida, which includes centers in nearby Lakeland and Port Richey.

While broadly described by many as a “trampoline park,” Schade says the label really doesn’t do the new facility justice. 

While there will be trampolines for jumping, the Tampa Palms Urban Air Adventure Park also includes a timed warrior course, bumper cars, dedicated dodgeball courts, rock walls and a kids area for youngsters that includes a 25-foot spiral slide.

There are also two rides that require harnesses — a Sky Coaster that circles high above the guests, and a ropes course.

“We’re able to give the little kids their own little area, and still let the bigger kids do what they want to do,” Schade says.

The Adventure Park’s on-site café will offer pizza, chicken wings and tenders, as well as beer and wine, including local craft beer favorites.

“We really want to get rid of that stigma that we’re just a trampoline park,” Schade says. “We can cater to everyone from toddlers all the way up to companies doing team-building exercises.”

For additional information, visit UrbanAirNewTampa.com.

Wesley Chapel Business Happenings

CRYSTAL CLEAR SHOPPING?: According to preliminary plans filed with Pasco County, a grocery store, six retail stores and a fitness center are being planned for the area around the entrance to Epperson, home of the country’s first Crystal Lagoons® amenity.

Filed by Minneapolis-based commercial real estate developer Ryan Companies, the plans for the northwest corner of the Overpass Rd./Curley Rd. intersection don’t specifically name any tenants but show a large health/fitness center abutting the easternmost end of the Crystal Lagoon, with a medical/emergency building to the south.

Closest to Curley Rd. is a planned grocery store, with one large retail space and five others about half the size and 996 total parking spaces for the development.

Ryan Companies and Metro Development Group had a scheduled meeting with Pasco planners to discuss the commercial development on Dec. 10, 2019.

Metro Development is developing Epperson, which will have roughly 2,000 homes, as part of the Connected City project, which will be the nation’s first gigabit community. The community’s prime amenity is the 7.5-acre lagoon, the first of its kind constructed in the U.S., although the area just north of Wesley Chapel along I-75 is getting an even larger lagoon (scheduled to open this year) in Metro’s Mirada development.

MORE CARS, TOO: Representatives of the Morgan Auto Group are scheduled to meet with county planners on Jan. 27 as Morgan moves forward with plans to build a new BMW dealership on S.R. 56.

According to plans filed with the county, the seven-story, 133,000-sq.-ft. dealership will abut the west side of Morgan’s MINI of Wesley Chapel dealership on S.R. 56, just east of I-75.

BMW had previously filed paperwork with the county, and scheduled a pre-application meeting, in the hopes of building a 32,758-sq.-ft. showroom at S.R. 56 and Mansfield Blvd.

The BMW dealership would join other luxury dealers that have opened in Wesley Chapel in recent years, like Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Lexus. 

Plans are still working their way through permitting for a Volkswagen dealership right across S.R. 56 from MINI of Wesley Chapel. Those plans call for a 27,845-sq.-ft. dealership.

And, plans for a 21,232-sq.-ft. car dealership at the southwest corner of Eagleston Blvd. and Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Seven Oaks — just east and across Eagleston Blvd. from Wesley Chapel Toyota and Lexus of Wesley Chapel — also is under review by the county.

“Fun” and “Fresh” Stuff Coming To New Tampa!

Good news for those bemoaning the lack of things to do with the kids in New Tampa, as well as the number of empty “big box” stores in New Tampa — an Urban Air Adventure Park is on the way to the Market Square at Tampa Palms, the shopping center anchored by BJ’s Wholesale Club on Commerce Palms Dr..

And it’s not alone.

While Urban Air Adventure Park will fill the former home of HH Gregg, Taza Market, an Indian supermarket and eatery, is expected to take over the old Staples location.

Urban Air Adventure is a Texas-based entertainment center franchise with locations all over the U.S.. The New Tampa location will be the company’s 10th in Florida, which includes centers in nearby Lakeland and Port Richey.

It has already announced on its website that it is coming to New Tampa, and according to plans filed with the City of Tampa, the facility will be 28,000 sq. ft. and include areas for a warrior course, spin/flip zone, slam dunk zone, family zone, wipe out area, adventure hub and private rooms for parties to go with a full service cafe.

The award-winning indoor activity center, which calls itself the “ultimate indoor playground for your entire family” and says it is more than just a trampoline park, typically offers high-flying activities, such as a Sky Rider Coaster, climbing walls and elevated ropes course, to name a few.

Taza Market, according to plans filed with the city, will be a 16,382-sq.-ft. Indian super market with fresh food made daily and a cafe-like area of roughly 1,700 sq. ft. with seating for 80.

Taza in Hindi translates to “fresh”.

Where Is Everybody Going?

As nearby Wesley Chapel flourishes, New Tampa sees small & large businesses closing their doors.

The shelves inside the Bed, Bath & Beyond in Market Square at Tampa Palms, once filled with kitchenware, bed sheets, towels and candles, have been laid bare.

Yellow papers were hung in the final days, declaring that what once occupied the shelves were now 50- or 75-percent off. All that remained, it seemed, were cell phone chargers and knickknacks destined for your junk drawer.

But now, it’s all gone.

Another New Tampa store, another big business closing.

In recent months, a number of high-profile and seemingly popular local stores have closed up shop in the 33647 zip code. In stark contrast, a few miles north, across the Hillsborough-Pasco county line, Wesley Chapel continues to grow and expand at a breakneck pace.

So, what’s happening in New Tampa? Or rather, what’s not happening?

At Market Square — which is still anchored by BJ’s Wholesale Club and located on Commerce Palms Dr. — three “big box” stores have closed in the past two years alone.

HH Gregg, Staples and now Bed Bath & Beyond leave behind 79,471 square feet of now-vacant retail space.

Elsewhere in New Tampa, restaurants like Casa Ramos in Tampa Palms, Ruby Tuesday’s and Dairy Queen on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. have closed in the last year, and right next to old Dairy Queen, Oakley’s Grille has been sold twice.

While the Dairy Queen space is re-opening soon as a Jamaican restaurant, other local businesses have not been so quick to turn around.

The old Romano’s Macaroni Grill site has twice been reborn as a Mexican restaurant, but neither lasted a year. Behind Oakley’s Grille, the old Sweetbay Supermarket (next to Home Depot) has been vacant since 2013 and is now merely an eyesore with a parking lot that serves mostly as a motel for semi tractor trailers.

Further north, Beef O’Brady’s on Cross Creek Blvd. at Morris Bridge is empty two years after closing, and the old MidFlorida bank has laid dormant even longer.

Even non-chain restaurants, like popular Spanish restaurants Café Olé and Las Palmas, have shut down over the past six months.

“It’s not a joke,” says Said Iravani, an engineering and environmental consultant who has lived in New Tampa for 17 years. “I think there are a few problems.”

One of the most prominent, he says, is a lack of collective spirit, that begins in the local neighborhoods but extends to the commercial areas. New Tampa’s offerings also may be growing stale, he says, thanks to poor design and a lack of connectivity.

With the exception of popular smaller chain restaurants like Glory Days, Ciccio Cali and Stonewood Grill & Tavern, and the popular Fat Rabbit Pub, Iravani thinks better choices for a day of shopping or a night out for dinner currently exist across the county line in Wesley Chapel, which wasn’t always so.

“We seem disjointed,” says Iravani, who also thinks a lack of a town center, poor street exposure and lack of a destination such as a mall or something comparable to Florida Hospital Ice Center has created a series of one-stop-and-go plazas along BBD.

District 7 Tampa City Council member and Hunter’s Green resident Luis Viera, who has long argued for a less fragmented community and business district, agrees.

“You don’t see (as many failing businesses) necessarily in South Tampa,” Viera says. “It’s a problem we need to address. This is a place with significant purchasing power. So why are retail and commercial not lasting here? We should try to get to the root of that.”

Viera is quick to acknowledge that big-box stores around the country are struggling in the face of the growing trend towards e-commerce. Businesses like Ruby Tuesday, Staples and HH Gregg aren’t just closing in New Tampa, they are closing hundreds of locations nationwide.

Others, like Macy’s, JC Penney and Target, to name a few, have struggled as well in the face of the juggernaut called Amazon and other online sites.

Viera, however, doesn’t think a “Oh-it’s-not-just-us” approach is sufficient. He would like to seek out more ways to boost commercial and retail vibrancy.

“We need to be able to lure pioneers out to New Tampa,” he says.

Long-time Tampa Palms resident and current District 2 Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist says it’s not time to sound any alarms. He says the spate of closings in New Tampa is just part of the evolution of business and the economy, and brighter days are ahead for the area. He cites specifically the Hunter’s Lake project he and fellow commissioner Ken Hagan have championed for more than a decade, which could be the impetus for a New Tampa renewal.

“Our economy right now — in the country, in the state and in Hillsborough County — is very strong,” Crist says. “Those restaurants and businesses will soon be replaced by new ones that will come along and want to tap into our lucrative customer market. And, the new project will do exactly that.”

The Villages at Hunter’s Lake, which will be located right across BBD from the main entrance to the Hunter’s Green community, is expected to include a New Tampa Cultural Center, New Tampa’s first “green” grocer, a retail shopping strip with restaurants and a community park.

“Unfortunately, we have seen some traditional brick-and-mortar businesses close or move north recently,” Hagan says. “Much of this is due to competition from e-commerce and shifting consumer behavior. That is why investing in a New Tampa cultural arts center could not occur at a better time.”

The Villages of Hunter’s Lake has been described as a potential downtown or town center area for local residents.

“It will be new and different,” Crist says. “I am working with the developer and the county to attract new and different businesses that New Tampa residents want and would enjoy.”

Crist, Hagan and Viera have all voted for the project at every opportunity. It is expected to break ground later this year or in early 2018.

“People are putting a lot of hope in Hunter’s Lake, and I hope it moves the needle,” Viera says.

The store closings in New Tampa also may appear more dire in the face of the unimpeded growth of Wesley Chapel, as new malls, town centers, hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers — like FHCI — are being added at a dizzying pace. Pasco County residents have fewer reasons to drive down BBD as they did even five years ago.

But, is growth in Wesley Chapel responsible for causing New Tampa-area businesses to pack it in?
“I would say no,” says Hope Allen, the CEO of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, which serves the businesses in both communities.

“I think a lot of these closures are not just happening here locally; they are happening everywhere. Retail is evolving and big box stores are trying to adjust. I don’t think Wesley Chapel has an impact on that.”

Crist says that while Wesley Chapel may look like the more desirable location to spend your money these days, it’s only a matter of time before New Tampa adjusts to the changing landscape.

“There’s definitely competition between the Hillsborough side and the Pasco side of Bruce B. Downs,” Crist says. “They are fresh, they are new. But, it’s just a matter of time before we retool and compete and push back. It’s all part of the process. The economy and the patronage is there in New Tampa to compete.”

Allen agrees, and thinks that some out-with-the-old-and-in-with-something-new momentum could give New Tampa a new shine.

“This is an opportunity to come out bigger and better, with something more relevant to the people that live there,” Allen says. “They should take a page out of the Wesley Chapel playbook.”

Volunteer Of The Year Craig DiCecco Makes Impact at New Tampa YMCA

Craig DiCecco volunteer
Tampa Palms resident Craig DiCecco is the New Tampa Family YMCA’s Volunteer of the Year.

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers like Tampa Palms resident Craig DiCecco, the New Tampa Family YMCA continues to help people in need in and around our community.

DiCecco was named the facility’s “Volunteer of the Year” at the annual Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA’s annual Community Impact Awards dinner on Feb. 25.

DiCecco, whose three kids have all participated in sports at the New Tampa YMCA over the past 10 years or so, is a real estate appraiser who is also a member of the New Tampa Rotary Club. He first became involved with the YMCA through the Wiregrass Wobble Turkey Trot, which is an event put on jointly each year by both organizations.

“Craig has really stepped up in many ways, especially with the Turkey Trot, ” says Tony Kimbrough, New Tampa Family YMCA executive director. “The event helps us raise funds to provide programs that impact our members and the community.”

Some of these programs include drowning prevention, teen leadership, the YMCA’s partnership with LIVESTRONG, adaptive programs for people with special needs, and providing financial assistance to kids who need it to attend summer camp.

“There are a lot of families in need,” says Kimbrough, “and we serve them. Summer camp can really help kids close the achievement gap. We see that there’s a lot less of a ‘summer learning loss’ for kids who come to our summer camps, versus those who don’t get that opportunity.”

Honored To Be Recognized

DiCecco says he is honored to have received the award. “The Y is a great organization with a lot of fantastic volunteers,” he says. “It’s tough for me to understand why I deserve this more than others whose faces I see at the Y every day.”

But, Kimbrough says DiCecco absolutely deserves to be recognized for his efforts.

“Craig also serves as vice chair of the New Tampa Family YMCA advisory board, and he’s been instrumental in helping us to raise both money and awareness,” says Kimbrough. “He’s always the first to raise his hand to volunteer when something needs to be done.”

For more information on the New Tampa Family YMCA, call 866-9622 or visit TampaYMCA.org/locations/new-tampa/.