WESLEY CHAPEL

Volume 28 Issue 20

NEWS September 29, 2020 COMEDY GOLD!

There’s already a taproom, dueling piano bar and mini-golf, and a unique movie theater and a container park are on the way to The Grove. But, if you think developer Mark Gold of Mishorim Gold is done, it looks like the joke might be on you!

By John C. Cotey John@NTNeighborhoodNews.com

Two guys walk into a bar. stand-up comedy club to the area

One guy says, “Hey, how would before the end of 2020. you like to bring your comedy club to As part of the former Cobb The Grove theater in Wesley Chapel?” theater’s dramatic makeover — which

The other guy says, “Hey yeah, that already is set to include a huge video sounds like a great idea. Let’s do it!” game area, a high-tech spin room, the

Okay, so that’s not much of a joke aters that cater to kids and moviegoers — we’ll leave that to the pros, who and two new restaurants — Side Splitwill be headed to Wesley Chapel in a ters Comedy Club will take over one of few months, when the renowned Side the theaters for its stand-up shows. Splitters Comedy Club opens a its sec“We have gotten a ton of requests ond location in The Grove on S.R. 54. to get another location and Wesley

Developer Mark Gold, who is Chapel is one of the areas with the redeveloping The Grove into an entermost requests,” says Thompson. “We tainment space unrivaled in the area, know it’s a growing area and, when the says he has forged a deal with Brian opportunity came up to get in there, Thompson, the owner of Side Splitters we took it. We see it as a win-win for in Carrollwood, to bring a full-fledged both of us.”

And, for the record, Gold and Thompson didn’t forge the deal at a bar. Instead, Thompson, who says he has been unofficially scouting the Wesley Chapel area for years, came across a 3-D video online showing the new things happening at The Grove and inquired about any vacancies.

He was told one unit was available, but it was smaller than what he was looking for, so he declined.

However, five minutes later, after Gold found out a comedy club had called — just what he had been looking for — the developer arranged to meet with Thompson that same day.

“He said he was one of the top comedy clubs in the U.S.,” Gold says. “I had a theater available in what will be an entertainment complex. It’s perfect. It’s a good fit.”

While the original Side Splitters is a 5,500-sq.-ft. location and seats 250 patrons at tables and chairs below the stage, the comedy theater at The Grove will seat roughly 170 above the stage, with food and drink service.

“It will be a little different, but it will be the same intimate feel of Side Splitters that people dig,” says Thompson, who, at our press time, was expecting to meet with Gold’s management company to hammer out the details.

Thompson, who was the general manager at Side Splitters since 2007 before buying the club in 2019, says it draws 70,000-80,000 people a year while mostly holding shows Thursdays through Sundays. That built-in audience is likely to translate nicely to the Wesley Chapel location, which also happens to be the home of some of Side Splitters’ more popular comics, like Rahn Hortman and JB Ball.

“It’s a nice partnership,” Thompson says. “Mark’s vision is having a one-stop shop, where people can walk around, grab dinner, play a round of golf and see a comedy show, without having to get in their cars to drive to each place. We’re very very excited to be part of that.”

Side Splitters Carrollwood has hosted a number of nationally-known comics, and Thompson says some of those big names also will come to Wesley Chapel.

“We’ll definitely get comedians with some strong TV credits — some late night appearances, “America’s Got Talent,” “Last Comic Standing” — people like that,” Thompson says.

Open mic nights also are popular at the club and will carry over to The Grove. So, get ready!

For Leasing Information, call Keren at (407) 636-1266 or email Keren@ mgoldgroup.com

A Water Park For The Grove, Too?

Jamie Hess hadn’t even opened his dueling piano bar, Treble Makers (see story on pgs. 30-31), before he was on to the next thing.

A water park for The Grove?

“I get bored easily,” Hess jokes.

According to Hess, he was having a conversation with Gold only about a month back when the developer asked what he thought about the idea of a water park, which could be built on 1.8 acres next to the Chuck E. Cheese’s.

I thought it was absolutely brilliant,” Hess said, who went ahead and jumped but larger — Harbour Island (above) is in as the point man on the project. He on 1.3 acres, compared to the 1.8 acres signed a letter of intent that day. planned for The Grove’s water park.

Hess says it wasn’t hard to convince The Grove park will have a lazy river him. After all, he was the first person to and a variety of slides and splash zones. It sign a lease with Gold. (Note - Double won’t need a mini-golf course like Splash Branch Artisanal Ales had actually signed Harbour, because Gold is building a stanwith the previous owners shortly before dalone course as part of his theater complex. Gold bought the property.) The water park will have season

“I think his vision for this area is passes, as well as one-day and four-hour great,” Hess says. “I wanted to be a part passes. “We’re thinking $25 for a fourof it right from the beginning.” hour pass,” Hess says, “and we’ll keep it

The water park will not be sprawling very very reasonable for season passes.” like Tampa’s Adventure Island, but will He adds that he is in the feasibility be family-oriented, says Gold, and small phase and, once that is determined, the deenough where parents will have no trousign phase begins, followed by permitting. ble keeping an eye on their kids. Within a year, Hess says, the park

Hess says he envisions the park as could be ready and he has already shown something similar to Splash Harbour the county pictures of what he has planned Water Park in Indian Rocks (above), and, “they were enthusiastic.” — JCC