There are some exciting changes come to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in the next few months.
Starting this fall at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, thrill-seekers will be able to enjoy their favorite food items from Chick-fil-A® while dashing from roller coaster to roller coaster. Formerly the park’s Bengal Bistro, the new restaurant will be nestled into the Jungala area of the park near the tigers and orangutans, where guests will soon enjoy the popular restaurant’s fare.
“We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Chick-fil-A to offer more culinary options for our guests during their visit at Busch Gardens,” said Neal Thurman, park president for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island. “We are proud to open this new location, the first Chick-fil-A in a Florida theme park, with a great community partner, giving us the opportunity to revitalize an existing restaurant and provide more dining space for our guests.”
“Our goal is to elevate our food and beverage program by offering guests a diverse selection of products and experiences,” said Anthony Stice, corporate vice president of Food & Beverage for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “Partnering with Chick-fil-a further exemplifies our commitment to guest service and the highest standards of quality.”
Opening this fall, the in-park restaurant will offer a selection of Chick-fil-A lunch and dinner menu items, including the iconic chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, lemonade and more. The restaurant will be open for business from Monday through Saturday.
“It is our pleasure to grow our partnership with Busch Gardens by providing the Chick-fil-A standard of care and quality food to all guests visiting the park,” said Denis Spradlin, local Chick-fil-A restaurant owner/operator in the Tampa Bay area. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring our brand of caring service and delicious food together with all the thrills, adventure and entertainment of Busch Gardens.”
A leader in customer service satisfaction, Chick-fil-A was named top fast-food restaurant in Newsweek’s 2019 America’s Best Customer Service report and received several honors in QSR’s 2019 Reader’s Choice Awards, including ‘The Most Respected Quick-Service Brand’ and ‘Best Brand for Overall Experience.’
In addition, the opening date for the park’s newest coaster was recently announced.
Iron Gwazi will open as North America’s tallest hybrid coaster and the fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the world in March 2022, in time for spring break.
The new ride will take thrills to new heights, plunging riders from a 206-foot-tall peak into a 91-degree drop and reaching top speeds of 76 miles per hour. The journey will include a dozen airtime moments, including three inversions, as it races along more than 4,075 feet of purple steel track. With a 48” height requirement, Iron Gwazi will be an exciting attraction that thrill-seeking families can take on together.
“Iron Gwazi has been highly anticipated by roller coaster enthusiasts around the world since we first announced this new legend. Due to the unprecedented challenges over the last two years, Iron Gwazi was delayed, and we recognize the delay has disappointed our fans. We appreciate the patience our guests have shown,” said Thurman. “We’re finally able to confirm that we will be delivering on the next-level thrills that our coaster fans crave and expect from Busch Gardens when we open this incredible coaster this spring.”
Iron Gwazi will be the 10th roller coaster to join Busch Gardens’ lineup of highly rated roller coasters and thrill rides, including Tigris, Florida’s tallest inversion; SheiKra, a 200-foot, 90-degree drop coaster; and Montu, recognized as one of the top 10 coasters in the country.
Guests can visit www.BuschGardensTampa.com for more information and to purchase tickets, Fun Cards, Annual Passes or tickets.
