Two neighborhood staples, FishHawk Pizza and Uncle Louie G, are officially closed. Previously located in the Shoppes at Osprey, the plaza across from the FishHawk Ranch main entrance, both will continue operating in new locations.
Bay Street Commercial Broker Michael Braccia reported there is no vacant space available in the plaza, and he added that the sign advertising 1,500 sq. ft. of space for lease will soon be removed.
Word around the neighborhood is that Marty’s Pizza Rock, which also has a location in Brandon, will take over the space vacated by FishHawk Pizza. Braccia said that he could not divulge any information about new leases as these items need to be finalized between the landlord and the tenant before any announcements can be made.
After finding out that its lease would not be renewed as the landlord was seeking something fresh and new to fill the space, FishHawk Pizza secured a spot at 7013 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. with plans to open during the first week in March.
“We added new bathrooms prior to Christmas and made other improvements to the FishHawk location,” said John Urso, whose wife, Jennifer Zinerco, is the primary owner of FishHawk Pizza. “Now, we are having new equipment and new ovens installed at the new location.”
He added that the new restaurant will have an enclosed patio and additional seating. But other than that, everything else will remain the same, including the menu, app and hours.
The new location is just north of the intersection of Lithia Pinecrest and Bryan Rds. Its hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday, and 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
Uncle Louie G also has closed its doors in the Shoppes at Osprey. Owner Enza Leo said that there was some confusion about when its lease ended, and they were notified on December 30, 2021 that the lease would be terminated, and the business had until January 31 to vacate. After discussions with the landlord and neighboring restaurant The Scrambled Egg, Uncle Louie G was offered a sublease with certain stipulations that the Leos were not willing to agree upon as it was not a standard sublease agreement. They decided it would be in their best interest to leave the plaza.
If you are craving Uncle Louie G’s more than 90 flavors of ice cream, fabulous milk shakes and other sweet creations, the Leos encourage their fans to visit Frankie’s Italian Deli Tampa & Uncle Louie G.
“We have already seen many of our regular customers from FishHawk at the new location,” commented Enza, who added that she felt the misunderstanding with the landlord which led to the termination of Uncle Louie G’s lease was truly a disservice to the community. “We were the place to go after church or sports games.”
She added that Uncle Louie G will still do the concessions at the FishHawk Aquatic Center and the dessert truck will be out and about in the FishHawk area offering neighborhood favorites.
Visit Frankie’s Italian Deli & Uncle Louie G at 3930 U.S. Hwy. 301 in Riverview. The hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m., seven days a week. View the menu and options for carryout at www.frankieandunclelouieg.com.
Co-owner of The Scrambled Egg Joel Granata confirmed that The Scrambled Egg has assumed the lease for the adjacent unit, formerly Uncle Louie G.
“This was not a planned decision and was offered to us after Uncle Louie G’s did not exercise their option to renew,” Granata said.
He added that although a sublease was offered to Uncle Louie G’s but not accepted, they have no intention of offering a sublease to any other business.
“We are still working out the details,” remarked Granata when asked what was planned for the additional space acquired.
For now, it is business as usual.
The Scrambled Egg is open seven days a week from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. To find out more, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheScrambledEgg/.
Other businesses in the Shoppes at Osprey include RockStar Fit Camp, Angel Nails, FishHawk Martial Arts Academy, Vibez Smoke Shop and FishHawk Animal Clinic.
Further east on Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Bay Street Commercial also handles leasing for River Hills Plaza, where neighbors recently experienced the sudden, unexpected closing of The Landing Bar & Grill.
Per Braccia, “There is some indication that The Landings may potentially become available, but, at the moment, there has been no official termination of the current lease.”
He added, “We are taking everyone’s name, phone number and email address and type of food concept in the event that the space becomes available.”
Interested parties can contact Bay Street Commercial at 254-6756.
