WESLEY CHAPEL — After eight years as one of the original hot spots in the Cypress Creek Town Center on State Road 56, Bahama Breeze is on the list for a major conversion.
While half of the 28 existing Bahama Breeze locations will be permanently closed by Darden Restaurants Inc., the Wesley Chapel location is among the other half that will be converted to a different Darden-owned brand.
The other two locations in the Tampa Bay area — at Rocky Point Drive and in Brandon — are also slated to be converted.
In a press release, Darden announced it had completed its “exploration of strategic alternatives for Bahama Breeze,” which opened its first location 30 years ago. Last May, Darden closed 15 locations.
While there has been no announcement what the Wesley Chapel location is expected to become, other Darden brands include The Capital Grille, Cheddar’s, Chuy’s, Eddie Vs, Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Seasons 52 and Yard house.
You can rule out Chuy’s, which has a location right next to the outgoing Bahama Breeze, as well as Cheddar’s and Longhorn Steakhouse, which are essentially across the street on the other side of S.R. 56.
An Olive Garden is expected to be built down the road near The Grove at Wesley Chapel, so that’s an unlikely option as well.
The restaurants that are designated to be closed will continue operating through April 5. The other locations are expected to be converted over the next 12-18 months and will continue to operate until that work begins.
Rays owner buys into Saddlebrook resurgence
Just a few months after showing off the renovations in the resort area of Saddlebrook Resort, Mast Capital and Amzak Capital Management announced the sale of a 20-acre land parcel adjacent to the 480-acre resort property to Dream Finder’s Homes for $8.5 million.
Dream Finder’s Homes founder and CEO Patrick Zalupski is the majority owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, leading the group that purchased the baseball team in October.
His homebuilder company’s Saddlebrook purchase gives him a parcel that is fully entitled for residential development with commercial uses.
According to a press release, Dream Finders will develop the property into 118 luxury townhomes called The Townes of Saddlebrook, which will also include a one-acre commercial parcel dedicated to office and retail uses.
“The Townes of Saddlebrook reflects Dream Finders Homes’ ongoing commitment to investing in the Tampa Bay region,” said Andrew Charlson, Tampa Division President for Dream Finders Homes, in a press release. “This project represents a unique opportunity to join the lifestyle and legacy of an iconic resort in one of the region’s most dynamic growth corridors.”
The townhome parcel is just part of Saddlebrook’s ongoing transformation. In addition to the renovations that have already taken place at the pool, golf course, restaurants, meeting and event spaces and 451 resort rooms, the entrance to the Wesley Chapel’s renowned visitor attraction will feature a town center with 465 luxury apartments, 25 townhomes and approximately 75,000 square feet of retail and office space. Mast Capital and Amzak, which purchased the aging resort in 2022 for $15 million with plans to revitalize and expand it, are expected to announce its remaining development plans in the near future.
“This land sale reflects a deliberate step in our investment strategy to advance Saddlebrook’s transformation,” said Jordan Kornberg, Chief Investment Officer at Mast Capital. “We have made significant capital improvements to modernize the resort and bring it back to its prior grandeur.”