WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Felicia Desai and her husband are getting a fresh start at running their own business, and they are doing it inside converted shipping containers.
“We loved the concept from the beginning," she said. "And, we liked the fact that we could make it our own."
Blush Wine Room is already serving up drinks even days before Krate at the Grove officially opens.
“We are just trying to make the drinks fun. We have a bunch of wine-based cocktails," Desai said. "You come in and you get you’ll get something special. We do mocktails. We do slushies. We have something for everyone."
The couple owned a couple of cafes in Tampa, but had to close them during the pandemic.
Now, this section at The Grove is giving them and many other mom-and-pop businesses a shot.
“Everyone is local," Desai said. "Everyone pretty much lives here. They are part of the communities. So, there is lots of support."
“The new Wesley Chapel downtown is what we refer to it as. As you can see, we have people that came from food trucks and now have their own restaurants," Mishorim USA Vice President of Operation Vince Mcallister said. "We have people that never had the ability to have their own boutique."
Mishorim USA has been buying retail plazas around the Tampa Bay area. They started with the Grove in Wesley Chapel and are trying to make it a shopping and entertainment destination.
The Krate section is just the latest part.
“Nobody’s ever done this before, so it was new to everyone," Mcallister said. "So, everyone has worked hand in hand great. And we’ve been able to get it across the finish line."
The grand opening is all day Saturday, but developers say it will be a constant work in progress.
They are already looking at adding more shaded areas.
“I think it’s a unique concept," Mcallister said. "And, as you can see from the people today, we haven’t even officially opened yet and it’s already packed."
