The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

JABZ Boxing

Business Digest 05/04/2022

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(Courtesy of San Antonio Credit Union)

Credit union celebrates history
A six-panel display has been installed to showcase the history and mission of the San Antonio Citizens Credit Union.

Local artist Kent Ross recently completed the display, which celebrates the credit union that was founded in 1955 and recently opened a new Operations Center in San Antonio, according to a news release.

Patty Sarne, the credit union’s president and CEO commissioned the art panels, which are on display at the main entry.

The panels illustrate the story of the credit union, through the people who have helped it prosper, and also reflect how the credit union’s membership has grown through the years.

In the news release, Ross said he was pleased to take on the project, “the history of this credit union was rich and they supplied me with some great memorabilia to incorporate into my design along with great stories – the first days business was conducted out of a cigar box!”

He also noted that he has been a member of the credit union for 40 years, so he’s personally seen how it has transformed through the years.

Hiring employees to help you succeed
This free workshop, presented through Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.’s SMARTstart program, helps employers hire employees that fit within the culture and brand of their business.

The workshop will be on May 11 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., at SMARTstart @ The Grove, 6013 Wesley Grove Blvd., Suite 202, Wesley Chapel.

To register, visit SmartStartPasco.com/the-grove-entrepreneur-center.

Chamber seeking award nominees
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce has set is annual awards celebration for Aug. 25 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Southport Springs Golf & Country Club.

Nominees are being sought in these categories:

  • Small Business of the Year: Up to 25 employees
  • Large Business of the Year: Over 25 employees
  • The Diamond Award (nonprofit)
  • Leadership in Government/Economic Development Champion
  • Citizen of the Year
  • Alice Hall Community Service Award (for a lifetime of contributions toward the betterment of Zephyrhills).

Last year’s winners are not eligible in the same category this year.

For more information, visit the chamber’s website at ZephyrhillsChamber.org.

Grand openings/ribbon-cuttings
These grand openings and ribbon-cuttings were announced by the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce:

  • Optum Dental Arts, on May 5 from noon to 1 p.m., at 5721 Gunn Highway. Lunch provided by Capital Tacos.
  • Woodie’s Wash Shack, 17322 State Road 54, in the Ballantrae area of Land O’ Lakes. Prizes and giveaways were included during the April 29 event.

This grand opening and ribbon-cutting was announced by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce:

  • Jamm Gymnastics, 5048 Airport Road, in Zephyrhills. Held on April 30, the event featured activities, prizes and tours.

Connecting small construction business to lenders
The Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County and Valley Bank are hosting a construction and contractor small business loan conference at Hotel Haya, 1412 Seventh Ave., in Tampa. The free event is set for May 5 from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Advanced registration is recommended. Call 813-204-9267, or visit HCFLGov.net/FSBDC for more information.

Upcoming free SCORE webinars

  • May 11, noon to 1 p.m.: Hiring to grow your business
  • May 19, noon to 1 p.m.: Five challenges when starting a business
  • May 31, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Creating and using your business plan

Register today at PascoHernando.score.org.  

Pasco Hernando SCORE also offers free individual, confidential small business mentoring.

New offerings at The Shops at Wiregrass
The Shops at Wiregrass is expanding its directory of permanent tenants.

Jabz Boxing recently opened. It offers High Intensity Interval Training (HITT) group fitness classes for trainees of all fitness levels. Its signature fitness circuit incorporates kickboxing, cardio, plyometrics, agility, and functional training exercises.

These businesses are coming soon:

  • Signature Workspace: Signature Workspace offers a variety of spaces for freelancers and growing businesses alike. Signature Workspace aims to provide an elevated remote-working experience for Wesley Chapel residents starting in early 2023.
  • The Living Room: The Living Room invites guests to experience their culinary creations beginning this summer. Dishes are served as they are ready, rather than all at once, to ensure freshness and create a unique tasting experience for guests. Serving brunch, lunch, dinner, and a variety of craft cocktails.
  • Leonidas Chocolates: Beginning this summer, Leonidas Chocolates will offer assorted chocolate boxes to single-serve chocolate treats. Its chocolates are made with 100% pure cocoa butter.
  • Body Details True Laser Treatment Center: A one-stop shop for cosmetic laser treatments. Body Details features a team of advanced practice Nurse Practitioners. They provide services ranging from laser hair and tattoo removal to skin rejuvenation procedures such as the removal of acne scarring and dark spots. Body Details will accept new patients beginning this summer.
  • Crazy Sushi: Creating an all-you-can-eat dining experience, Crazy Sushi features a menu of fresh and savory, sushi and hibachi dishes that guests can keep ordering until they’re full, for a flat rate. Crazy Sushi is set to open this fall.

To view full directory, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com/directory/.

New sandwich shop opens
Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop has opened a shop at 1948 Collier Parkway, in Lutz.

This is the first of 15 locations that entrepreneur Scott Crawford plans to open across the Tampa Bay area, with each shop adding 20 to 25 jobs to the local economy.

This is Carpriotti’s second Florida location, according to a news release.

The shop serves cheesesteaks, turkey subs and more.

Crawford is no stranger to the restaurant industry. With his first job out of high school as a pizza delivery driver, Crawford now has over 20 years of experience in the food service industry.

The Lutz Capriotti’s will offer a convenient order-ahead option, in addition to third-party delivery services.

Capriotti’s is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily. For additional information, visit Capriottis.com, or call the location at 813-553-3745.

Pasco’s growth fuels economy

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Apartment construction is dominating residential development along the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor — a magnet for development in the midst of Pasco County’s surging growth.

As rooftops on luxury apartment homes pop up, retail is following, as evidenced by roadside signs and county permits.

Signs like these, east of Odessa, off State Road 54, are popping up on former pastureland up and down the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor. (Fred Bellet)

Former pastures along the heavily traveled road are occupied now with shops, restaurants, apartments, auto dealerships and Class A offices.

The Shops at Wiregrass, near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, in Wesley Chapel, has added Athleta; go! Calendars & games; and, siKicks (a footwear and collectibles shop); Charming Charlies; and, Hickory Farms. Coming soon are Body Details; JABZ Boxing; and The Living Room.

Besides expanding its retail, Cypress Creek Town Center, a massive development west of the Interstate 75/State Road 56 interchange, is jumpstarting its residential plans.

County building permits indicate that Garrett Apartments are coming to Grand Cypress Drive, and Silversaw at Wesley Chapel is rising along Garden Village Way and Citron Boulevard.

Valentino’s Fine Jewelers and The Good Feet Store have opened on Sierra Center Boulevard, the town center’s prime east-west road, and Carrabba’s Italian Grill is coming.

Construction on Miller’s Ale House, meanwhile, is ongoing at the Wesley Chapel Boulevard entry into Tampa Premium Outlets, on the south side of the highway.

Zaxby’s restaurant has opened on Sun Vista Drive near Costco. New offerings at Tampa Premium Outlets will include a Frosty Cart by Wendy’s and new jewelry selections with Banter at Piercing Pagoda.

BMW of Wesley Chapel is building a six-story building on State Road 56. (Fred Bellet)

Just west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard, on the north side of State Road 54, owners of El Dorado furniture store are laying groundwork for a 70,000-square-foot store.

When it opens, expected around June, shoppers will be able to stroll along a streetscape, enjoying more than 20 storefronts showcasing furniture styles from contemporary to traditional.

The Capo family, who is developing El Dorado, opened their first store in the late 1960s in Miami.

The family opened a store in St. Petersburg in late 2019, before the COVID shutdown and, despite the timing, it has fared well, according to Pedro Capo, chief operating officer at El Dorado.

Now, Capo said he expects to hire and train about 50 employees for the Pasco store, likely beginning in March or April.

Capo is optimistic about the Pasco store’s prospects, noting that the county’s residential growth bodes well for building a strong customer base.

El Dorado will join WaWa, Firestone and Burger King along State Road 54 frontage at the Brighthouse Crossings apartments.

Just west of Brighthouse, a Woodie’s Wash Shack has opened at the Shoppes at Cypress Creek. Fazoli’s Italian restaurant is another potential tenant for the new plaza.

More housing and dining options

In Land O’ Lakes, the Avidity Living apartment complex is being built off State Road 54 and Oak Grove Boulevard. The 252-unit development is scheduled to open in 2022.

Also, coming to this location, is EOS Fitness.

Willow Bend Town Centre, at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway, recently added Ayoki Japan restaurant. Esporta Fitness is a rebranding of the former LA Fitness. And a sign near the center’s entrance off the state road suggests Pasco will get another car wash – Vortex Express Car Wash.

A new apartment community, Avidity Living, is being built at State Road 54 and Oak Grove Boulevard, in Land O’ Lakes. EOS Fitness will be built at the intersection. (Fred Bellet)

West of U.S. 41, vacant land at Ballantrae and Cypress Ranch is sprouting “coming soon” signs as construction begins on apartment units, new retail, and a proposed Class A office complex, known as 54 Crossings.

On the south side opposite Ballantrae, the Cypress Ranch development includes Azora, a new apartment complex, with a spring 2022 opening. Signs in front of the complex show a cornucopia of proposed shops including ALDI grocery store, Chick-Fil-A, another EOS Fitness, Honest-1 Auto Care, and The Learning Experience.

“We are happy to confirm that we will open our newest Lutz, Florida location next year, with construction scheduled to begin soon,” according to Matt Thon in a statement provided by email. Thon is the Haines City division vice president for ALDI.

No further details were provided regarding the construction schedule or opening date.

A Circle K is under construction at this location, and a Woodie’s Wash Shack, is coming.

On the north side, 54 Crossings is a proposed 60,000-square-foot Class A office building, at Aprile Drive, adjacent to Ballantrae’s row of fast-food restaurants that includes Taco Bell and Dairy Queen Grill & Chill.

East of the Suncoast Parkway, the master-planned community of Bexley at Newland is moving dirt for a major retail and business center, off State Road 54 and Bexley Village Drive. Known as the Hub at Bexley, the commercial complex is scheduled for a summer 2022 opening.

Bexley’s website describes the Hub as a “retail and business destination,” with a summer 2022 opening. Bexley residents can walk or bike along connecting trails to enjoy dining, shopping, live concerts and family events. But it also is envisioned as an attraction for Tampa Bay residents with easy interstate access.

Construction continues at The Towns of Oakstead, on the north side of State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes. (Fred Bellet)

The Hub also includes a large outparcel on Bexley Village Drive, adjacent to the Springhill Suites hotel and opposite the delivery entrance into the Amazon warehouse. The site will become home to 4 & Co., with about 35,000 square feet of Class A offices and co-work spaces. Memberships and limited passes will be offered. Amenities will include a gym, yoga studio, sauna, a treatment room for acupuncture and massages, and conference rooms.

West of Suncoast Parkway, the Shoppes at Crossings Boulevard initially welcomed HotWorx and Jimmy John’s restaurant. New signs in the development indicate additional tenants will be there, including Beyond 2020 Vision Specialists, PTI Solutions, Touch Nail Spa, and Shauby Dental Institute.

Another apartment complex, Avilla Suncoast, is under construction at Redstone Way and Crossings Boulevard, immediately behind the new Hooters restaurant.

Next along the route, The Preserve Marketplace, off South Branch Road, is increasing its retail and business options with Caring Paws Animal Hospital, 100% Chiropractic, PostNet, Lin China restaurant, Papa Johns restaurant, Burger Fi, Chipotle, Panera Bread, and the USF Federal Credit Union. The shopping center is anchored by the Greenwise Publix grocery store.

Starkey Ranch Town Center, at Gunn Highway and State Road 54, is expanding, too. A shell building is under construction, but the new tenants are not yet identified.

Starkey Ranch Business Park on Heart Pine Avenue recently added Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop. Tropical Smoothie Café has a ‘coming soon’ sign. Butcher’s Mark Fresh Meats and Marinades is another shop on its way.

Clearly, there’s a lot going on, along State Road 54/State Road 56 — and there’s no indication that the pace of activity will slow anytime soon.

Published Nov. 24, 2021

By Kathy Steele