The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
Proud to be independently owned.

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mellow Mushroom

Cypress Creek Town Center buzzing with activity

By

If you haven’t been in the area west of Interstate 75, off State Road 56, during the past several months, chances are you’re not aware of the increasing activity happening at Cypress Creek Town Center and in nearby areas.

Five Below, at 25609 Sierra Center Blvd., in Lutz, is set to have its grand opening on March 29, according to a banner posted at the store.

Five Below is planning a grand opening on March 29, at the Cypress Creek Town Center, according to a sign on the company’s storefront. (B.C. Manion)

Five Below sells everything from cellphone cases and chargers to yoga pants, footballs, candy, and seasonal items from Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

Meanwhile, Burlington, at 25589 Sierra Center Blvd., also is set to have its grand opening on March 29, according to the company’s website. Burlington also is hiring, according a banner on the company’s storefront.

Burlington is an off-price apparel and home product retailer, which operates 567 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico, according to its website. The store offers a large selection of coats, clothing, shoes, linens , home décor and baby items.

Those grand openings come on the heels of Hobby Lobby’s grand opening on March 18.  Located at  25675 Sierra Center Drive, it is the national retail chain’s 865th store. Each store offers more than 70,000 crafting and home décor products, including floral, fabric, needle art, custom framing, baskets, home accents, wearable art, arts and crafts, jewelry making, scrapbooking and paper crafting supplies, according to information provided by the company.

HomeGoods is planning an April 14 grand opening at Cypress Creek Town Center, according to the company’s website.

Meanwhile, Earth Fare, a North Carolina-based grocer, also at Cypress Creek Town Center, entered the Pasco County market when it opened its 51st store in February. The 24,000-square-foot store aims to promote the health and well-being of its customers by selling an assortment of healthy foods.

Coming soon to the town center will be HomeGoods, at 25557 Sierra Center Blvd., which is scheduled to have its grand opening on April 14 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to its website.  It also is “now hiring” according to a sign on the storefront’s exterior.

HomeGoods is an off-price retailer, which offers brand name and home fashion assortments that are 20 percent to 60 percent less than department and specialty store regular prices, the company’s website says. It offers merchandise from thousands of vendors throughout the world.

Many other establishments already are operating at the town center, which has shops and restaurants on both sides of State Road 56.

Diners have a wide array of options on the north side of State Road 56, including Chipotle Mexican Grill, Fast-Fire’D Blaze Pizza, Taco Bell, Pollo Tropical, Wendy’s, Ford’s Garage, Mellow Mushroom, Sweetea Café, Chuy’s Tex Mex and Bahama Breeze.

Burlington is planning a grand opening on March 29, at the Cypress Creek Town Center, according to the company’s website. It also is hiring, according to a sign on the exterior of the store.

Meanwhile, Walk-ons Bistreaux & Bar, on the same side of the road, is under construction. The New Orleans-based sports bar was founded by business partners who were walk-ons to the Louisiana State University basketball team. They opened their first restaurant near LSU’s Tiger Stadium.

On the south side of State Road 56, diners can select from LongHorn Steakhouse, McDonald’s, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Culver’s, Panda Express, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks  and MOD Pizza.

Other developments on the south side of the road include Costco Wholesale Warehouse, an At Home Home Décor Superstore and smaller shops.

Tampa Premium Outlets also is on the south side of State Road 56, just west of I-75.

And, another project is coming, on the  east side of Creek Grass Way, about 600 feet south of State Road 56, according to county records.

Main Event is planning a 48,608-square-foot entertainment center and has requested permission to sell alcoholic  beverages there. The Pasco County Planning Commission and county planners have recommended approval, and the Pasco County Commission was scheduled to consider the request on March 26, after The Laker/Lutz News’ press deadline.

The Main Event is a bowling, laser tag and dining entertainment center, which has locations in 16 states, including Florida, according to its website.

On the north side of State Road 56, shops include T-Mobile, Noire Nail Bar, Men’s Wearhouse, Mattress One, Aspen Dental, Great Clips, Pearl Vision and Sleep Number. Verizon Wireless and Wesley Chapel Smile Dentistry are coming soon.

There’s also Hyatt Place Hotel & Conference, a 130-room hotel, has opened and already has hosted a variety of community events there.

Also, on the north side of State Road 56, to the west of Cypress Creek Town Center, there’s a new Burger King in front of the Brightwork Crossing apartment development, and nearby a Wawa gas station under construction nearby.

El Dorado Furniture-Wesley Chapel is planning a 70,000-square-foot, two-story showroom at State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard, according to county documents.

Published March 27, 2019

El Dorado Furniture opening fall 2019 at Brightwork Crossing

By

The largest Hispanic-owned furniture retailer in the United States plans to open a new store in the mixed-use, residential and commercial project, known as Brightwork Crossing.

An apartment complex at Brightwork Crossing is under construction at State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard. Shops and a hotel are planned, too.

A new Burger King restaurant recently opened on a parcel, fronting State Road 54.

The estimated opening for El Dorado Furniture Store is fall 2019, according to Pedro Capo, chief operating officer of the family-owned business.

This is an aerial view of an El Dorado Furniture Store that opened in Cutler Bay, in Miami-Dade County. Company officials are in early stages of planning a store in Pasco County that would open in fall 2019. (Courtesy of Smith Aerial Photos/El Dorado Furniture Store)

Bowman Consulting Inc., filed a preliminary site plan for El Dorado Furniture, and had a pre-application meeting with Pasco County planners in July.

“Everything is looking good,” said Capo.

The Miami-based business is expanding elsewhere in Florida, including new stores in Naples and Fort Myers. A former Sports Authority on Tyrone Boulevard, and a Babies R Us, will be remodeled and opened as El Dorado stores.

The site plan for El Dorado shows a two-story, 70,000-square-foot building, with access from Ashley Creek Trail.

Ashley Creek is among new roads built, internal to Brightwork Crossing. Maren Way is a new road off State Road 54, leading to Burger King and the apartments.

A WaWa gas and convenience store also is featured on the site plan, across from the furniture store. It also has access from Ashley Creek.

The recent El Dorado Furniture store opening in Naples is the company’s 16th store, said Capo.

The company has wanted to move into Pasco for awhile, and looked at a site about five years ago, east of Interstate 75. Tampa Premium Outlets was still in planning stages.

“It was too soon. Then, the recession came in,” said Capo. “But, now the timing is right.”

Company founder, Manuel Capo, left Cuba after the Fidel Castro regime confiscated the family’s chain of furniture stores, known as Casa Capo. Capo and two of his six sons sailed a small boat, named El Dorado, to Mexico, and then settled in Miami, according to the website.

The rest of the family later joined them.

Capo opened El Dorado (named for the boat) in 1967 in Little Havana.

Manuel Capo died nearly 10 years ago. His sons now operate the family business, which is recognized among the top 50 furniture retailers in the country, the website adds.

In the early 1990s, the family designed a unique showroom concept, featuring the El Dorado “boulevard.” Customers stroll along a streetscape, dotted with old-fashioned benches and street lamps, 16th century-inspired stained glass windows, and Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Capo said the parking lot also features old-fashioned street lights and brick pavers to begin what is essentially a neighborhood experience.

Typically, customers in most furniture stores might spent 20 minutes, but El Dorado customers stay as long as an hour, he added. “They can just relax, enjoy a cup of coffee and wander around,” Capo said.

The store has more than 20 storefronts, and specialty furniture shops, which showcase various furniture styles from contemporary to traditional.

Same-day delivery is available in many instances.

“Being Hispanic, typically the whole family comes to shop,” Capo said. “They’d bring anybody that fit in the car, even their neighbors.”

But, he said, the boulevard concept proved successful “for everybody. We do have people for all over the world to look at our boulevard.”

Pasco County commissioners approved Brightwork Crossing in August 2017. The development will have about 350 apartments, 250,000 square feet of offices, retail, and a 150-room hotel.

The approximately 32-acre site is off State Road 54, west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard. It is behind the Shell gas station and Walgreen’s drugstore.

State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel are at the epicenter of retail growth in Pasco. Tampa Premium Outlets, a row of restaurants, a new At Home store and Costco are among the projects that opened on the south side of State Road 56.

Cypress Creek Town Center, on the north side of State Road 56, is filling up with restaurants, including Bahama Breeze Island Grill, Mellow Mushroom, and Chuy’s Tex Mex. The Hyatt Place Hotel is almost ready for its grand opening.

Other planned shops include HomeGoods, Blaze Pizza and Hobby Lobby.

Published August 1, 2018

More shops coming to Cypress Creek and Tampa Premium Outlets

By

New retail is on the way to Cypress Creek Town Center, located west of the Interstate 75 interchange, on the north side of State Road 56.

Across the road, Tampa Premium Outlets will add a new big box store – the At Home Décor Superstore.

Construction on the infrastructure for the new shops is in early stages.

Berry Construction has obtained permits for Burlington (formerly Burlington Coat Factory), Earth Fare grocery store, Home Goods, and Five Below, for Cypress Creek Town Center.

At Home Décor Superstore is under construction at Tampa Premium Outlets. (Kathy Steele)

A representative for Sierra Properties, which is developing the site, couldn’t be reached for comment.

Permits are for parcels located along Sierra Center Boulevard, which already is populated with restaurants and shops.

Ford’s Garage, Mellow Mushroom, Men’s Wearhouse, Pollo Tropical, Chuy’s Tex Mex, Great Clips and Bahama Breeze are among existing tenants.

A 130-room Hyatt Place Hotel & Conference is nearing completion.

At Home Décor Superstore is under construction on an outparcel, off Grand Cypress Drive at the outlet mall, which is being developed by Simon Property Group. The store will be directly behind the Costco Warehouse Store.

Advertising on the exterior of a parked Home Décor truck touts a summer 2018 opening.

A company representative couldn’t be reached for comment.

The new retail will offer a range of shopping choices.

Burlington
The company began in 1924 as a wholesaler of women’s coats and junior suits. An outlet store opened in 1972 in Burlington, New Jersey. The shop expanded from women’s clothes to add men’s wear, sportswear and accessories.

Earth Fare
Earth Fare is a full-service supermarket that offers natural, healthy food choices. It began in 1975 as Dinner for the Earth, a health food store in Ashville, North Carolina. The first Earth Fare grocery store opened in 1994.

Home Goods
Home Goods is a discount home furnishings store with a range of departments, including furniture, gifts, bedding, pets, and home accents.

Five Below
Five Below is aimed at teens, preteens and their parents, selling an eclectic mix of items, including cellphone cases and chargers, yoga pants, footballs, and candy and seasonal items for Halloween, Easter and Christmas.

At Home Décor Superstore
The Texas-based discount home décor store sells upwards of 50,000 items in warehouse-size spaces. Departments include furniture, rugs, storage and organization, pots and planters, and lights.

Published June 20, 2018

Hotel, retail, restaurants — arriving soon

By

More retail, and a Hyatt hotel, are coming to Cypress Creek Town Center, even as other new shops and restaurants are opening for business.

Along Sierra Center Boulevard, Mellow Mushroom, Great Clips, Mattress One, Men’s Wearhouse and Aspen Dental are open for business. Noire Nail Bar will soon open its doors, too.

Great Clips, Men’s Wearhouse, Noire Nail Bar, T-Mobile and Mellow Mushroom are storefronts in a small retail center at Cypress Creek Town Center. (Kathy Steele)

To the east, Chuy’s Tex Mex is headed to a spring opening, according to a news release from the national chain.

Next door, Bahama Breeze Island Grille is under construction.

A 132-room Hyatt Place hotel and convention center will open in July at the Cypress Creek Town Center, said Dilip Kanji, president and chief executive officer of Impact Properties Inc.

There is a lot of demand for hotels in the Wesley Chapel area, but Kanji said, “There’s not a lot of choices.”

The growth in the area is what attracted Impact Properties to build there.

“Pasco County is the fastest-growing county in the southeastern United States,” he said. “We typically prefer to get in when there are (more) spaces for growth.”

Kanji said the selection for prime locations narrows as more development happens.

At Cypress Creek Town Center, the hotel is situated at the Interstate 75 and State Road 56 interchange with immediate access also to Florida Hospital Center Ice and Tampa Premium Outlets.

Hyatt Place Hotel will open in July at the Cypress Creek Town Center.

Sierra Properties’ plans to build a 330,000-square-foot shopping center within the town center also was a draw, Kanji added.

Cypress Creek Town Center is approved for up to 2 million square feet of retail, hotel, apartments and offices, according to county records.

In the past year, new restaurants have opened at the town center along Sierra Center Boulevard, which leads to the Hyatt property. There is Ford’s Garage, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and Pollo Tropical.

Other shops anticipated including Pet Smart and Burlington Coat Factory.

Kanji provided a list of other anticipated retail in the 330,000-square-foot project when he spoke at a luncheon, sponsored by The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (renamed the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce).

Kanji said he had permission to release the store’s names, which include Chipotle Mexican Grill, HomeGoods, Earth Fare, Hobby Lobby, Walk-on Bistreaux & Bar, and Blaze Pizza.

Kanji said he expected permitting as soon as April.

Spokespersons for the stores either didn’t respond to emails from The Laker/Lutz News, or wouldn’t confirm their plans.

  • Chipotle Mexican Grill is a Denver-based fast-casual restaurant founded in 1993. Menu items include burritos, bowls, tacos and salads, made to order. There are more than 2,200 Chipotle’s nationwide.
  • Earth Fare is a North Carolina-based specialty grocery store offering organic and natural foods. It has about 45 locations. Most are in the southeast and Midwest.
  • HomeGoods is a discount home furnishing store, based in Massachusetts. It is part of the family of TJX Companies Inc., which includes TJ Maxx.
  • Hobby Lobby is a family owned arts and crafts store that also sells picture frames, jewelry-making items, fabrics, and floral and wedding supplies. Founded in 1972 in Oklahoma City, there now are more than 800 stores in 47 states.
  • Walk-on Bistreaux & Bar is a New Orleans-based sports bar founded by Brandon Landry and Jack Warner. The business partners met in 1997 when they were walk-ons to the Louisiana State University’s basketball team. They opened their first location near LSU’s Tiger Stadium. Today, the company is co-owned by New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees.
  • Blaze Pizza is a California-based fast-casual restaurant founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel of Wetzels Pretzels. Similar to Chipotle, customers select the ingredients for their made-to-order, fresh-from-scratch pizzas.

Published March 14, 2018

More construction pops up on State Road 56

By

Until recently the south side of State Road 56, by the Interstate 75 interchange, created the most commercial buzz.

Tampa Premium Outlets and a slew of restaurants turned grassland into a shopping and dining mecca.

More is on the way.

Construction is nearly complete on Wendy’s and Taco Bell, on Sierra Center Boulevard at Cypress Creek Town Center. The restaurants will join Ford’s Garage and Pollo Tropical, which opened a few months ago. (Kathy Steele)

Starbucks is the latest opening on the south side of the highway. It’s next to Culver’s.

But, now it’s the north side of the state road that’s starting to see a surge of new restaurants and shops as the next phase of Cypress Creek Town Center kicks into gear.

Sierra Center Boulevard, off the entryway at Grand Cypress Drive, is the center of the activity.

The town center straddles both sides of State Road 56, at its juncture with Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Interstate 75. The southern side largely is being developed by Simon Properties and Richard E. Jacobs, with Sierra Properties in control on the northern side. Its properties are listed under the ownership of Pasco Ranch, Inc.

Ford’s Garage and Pollo Tropical, which opened in recent months, were first up for Sierra.

Now, Wendy’s and Taco Bell are nearly ready for fast-food delivery.

Heading east along Sierra Center, work crews are rolling out a parking lot and laying landscaping for a multi-store retail center.

According to county permitting records, Men’s Wearhouse, Mellow Mushroom, Mattress One, T-Mobile, and Great Clips are future tenants.

Hutton, with headquarters in Chattanooga, is developing the retail center. Hutton representatives could not be reached for additional details.

A stand-alone Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant is slated for a spot just east of the shopping strip, according to county records.

In January, a pre-application meeting was held with county planners to discuss a location on Sierra Center for Bahama Breeze Island Grill.

Another restaurant headed to Cypress Creek is Newk’s Eatery. According to QSR Magazine, the company, based in Jackson, Mississippi, plans to open as many as 30 new restaurants in Florida in five years. Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area are target markets, with a menu of fresh-made soups, salads, sandwiches and California-style pizzas.

According to its website, the founders also opened McAlister’s Deli.

On the northern side of Sierra Center, permits for infrastructure have been issued attached to brand names of Dick’s Sporting Goods, Pet Smart and Burlington.

Five Below also is landing in the town center. The shop is a cornucopia for teens and preteens looking for games, jewelry, candy, makeup, computer gear, DVDs, books, school supplies and novelties. Everything is low-budget at $5 or below.

A six-story, 132-room Hyatt hotel is in permitting stages for infrastructure on another outparcel in the eastern area of Cypress Creek.

Cypress Creek could end up with two grocery stores.

Aldi representatives inquired in March about opening one of its discount grocery stores on an outparcel owned by Sierra that is at an entrance into Tampa Premium Outlets.

In June, a pre-application meeting was scheduled to discuss an approximately 24,000 square-foot grocery store at the northwest corner of State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard – across from the Aldi site. That grocery store was not identified.

Plans also call for another 11,500 square feet of retail.

Published July 12, 2017