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Noire Nail Bar

Cypress Creek Town Center buzzing with activity

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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

Cypress Creek plaza still expanding

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The pace of development at Cypress Creek Town Center is picking up, with new shops and restaurants under construction at two sites within the town center.

Most of the action is taking place along Sierra Center Boulevard, a main artery that cuts through the town center, which is located at State Road 56 and Grand Cypress Drive. Two new shopping strips, each fronting Sierra Center Boulevard, will significantly boost the retail development.

Signs staked amid construction activity herald the coming of HomeGoods, Five Below and Burlington. County records also show additional shops will open, including Hobby Lobby, Sleep Number, Pacific Dental, Verizon Wireless, Dollar Tree and America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses.

Restaurants include Blaze Pizza, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Walk-on’s Bistreaux & Bar. Earth Fare, a specialty grocery store, is coming, too.

The town center is part of a mixed-use project of retail, offices, hotel and residential under development by Sierra Properties Inc.

The new retail at Cypress Creek will add to established shops and restaurants that line the south side of Sierra Center, including Men’s Wearhouse, Great Clips, T-Mobile, Noire Nail Bar, Ford’s Garage, Bahama Breeze Grill and Chuy’s Tex-Mex.

Even here, new retail is coming, including Sweetea Café. The restaurant’s menu will have freshly brewed bubble tea, and homemade Vietnamese food and snacks.

The new 130-room Hyatt Place Hotel & Sierra Conference Center opened recently at the far eastern end of the boulevard.

On the south side of State Road 56, Sierra Properties also will gain an Aldi grocery store, at 2215 Sun Vista Drive, on a parcel fronting the Tampa Premium Outlets.

The bounty of new shops, restaurants and offices at Cypress Creek represents a fraction of the development rush that is remaking Pasco County.

It is all part of the warp and weave of bringing a mix of retail, office, hotel, industrial and retail to a county with a long-held reputation as a bedroom community.

Development is bringing rooftops, retail, offices, manufacturing and jobs to the county.

“That’s refreshing,” said Bill Cronin, president/CEO of Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.

More development brings new residents, more jobs and added amenities, and it all adds up to a county where people “live, work and play,” Cronin said. “They don’t have to get on the road every day. They don’t have to make the commute.”

More development is on the way in the area surrounding Cypress Creek Town Center, too.

One recent arrival is At Home Décor Superstore on an outparcel at Tampa Premium Outlets.

To the immediate west of Cypress Creek, Brightwork Crossing is well under construction of up to 350 apartments. A WaWa gas station and El Dorado Furniture store also are planned.

The Shoppes at Cypress Creek is being proposed for development at the northwest corner of State Road 54 and Old Cypress Creek Road. Site plans filed with the county last summer show two 9,000-square-foot buildings separated by a breezeway. A “quick service” restaurant also is proposed for an outparcel at the site.

The following stores are scheduled to  open in 2019 at Cypress Creek Town Center:

Hobby Lobby
Plans are for a February 2019 opening, according to an email from Hobby Lobby representatives.

Hobby Lobby is primarily an arts and crafts store, but it offers a broad array of merchandise and hobby materials, including picture-framing, jewelry-making, floral and wedding supplies, cards and party favors, and home accessories.

The Oklahoma-based national chain began with a $600 investment in a home-based venture by owners David and Barbara Green. They opened a 300-square-foot store in Oklahoma City in 1972, according to the company’s website. Today, Hobby Lobby has more than 800 stores in 47 states.

Burlington
Burlington traces its roots to 1924 and a wholesale operation selling women’s coats and junior suits.

Its first outlet store opened in 1972 in Burlington, New Jersey, according to the company website.

Today, Burlington sells clothes, shoes and other accessories at discounted prices to women, men and children.

HomeGoods
The Massachusetts-based discount home furnishing store is part of the family of TJX Companies Inc., which includes TJ Maxx.

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

Sleep Number
The Minnesota-based national chain sells mattresses, beds and bedding.

Pacific Dental Services
The California-based chain provides a full-range of dental services. It has more than 630 offices in 20 states.

Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless sells phones and accessories, as well as tablets and “fitbit” products.

America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses
America’s Best offers discounted services, including eye examinations, glasses and contacts.

Dollar Tree
The discount store traces its roots back more than 60 years to the Ben Franklin Variety store, and a concept of selling products for $1. It offers a wide array of products, including drinks, toys, candy, school supplies, home décor, gifts and cards.

Chipotle Mexican Grill
The Denver-based fast-casual restaurant is known for its burritos and tacos, and a philosophy of preparing meals-to-order with fresh ingredients. The company has more than 2,000 restaurants nationwide.

Walk-on Bistreaux & Bar
Walk-on Bistreaux & Bar is a New Orleans-based sports bar that is co-owned by New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees. It was founded by business partners who were walk-ons to the Louisiana State University’s basketball team. They opened their first restaurant near LSU’s Tiger Stadium.

Blaze Pizza
Blaze Pizza is a California-based fast-casual restaurant that serves made-to-order, fresh-from-scratch pizzas.

Earth Fare
The North Carolina-based specialty grocery store stocks its stores with organic, natural and local foods.

By Kathy Steele

Published January 2, 2019

Hotel, retail, restaurants — arriving soon

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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