An opening date for MOD Pizza‘s first Tampa Bay location has arrived. The Seattle-founded fast-casual pizza franchise plans to commemorate its launch in the Wesley Chapel/Lutz area with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9.
Part of the Cypress Creek Town Center, the 2,800-square-foot outpost — led by BBX Capital, Florida’s exclusive MOD franchisee — is located at 2227 Sun Vista Drive. Hours of operation are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The first 52 customers in attendance on opening day receive a free pie. Pizza sales made during the celebration will go to the nonprofit Mike Evans Family Foundation. And speaking of Mike Evans, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver and his wife, Ashli, are also expected to make an appearance.
“MOD has established itself as a leader in the fast-casual pizza category while offering customers an authentic, affordable and fast dining experience,” said Jarett Levan, president of BBX Capital, in a statement. “We are thrilled to spearhead the rapid expansion of the brand throughout the state with our first Tampa location.”
MOD is known for its artisan-style pies, cooked to order in an 800-degree oven, that come individually sized, as do the salads. House-made lemonade and iced tea, milkshakes, locally brewed craft beer and wine are offered on the beverage side.
“We are proud to serve delicious artisan-style pizzas and fresh salads made on demand, along with supporting the community by offering well-paying jobs, career development opportunities and supporting nonprofits in the area. We call it ‘Spreading MODness’ and we look forward to bringing it to the Tampa Bay area,” said Brick Kerge, vice president of operations for BBX Capital’s MOD business around the state.
With locations in Coral Springs, Parkland, Kendall, Gainesville and Jacksonville, BBX Capital has signed an agreement to develop as many as 60 Florida outposts for MOD over the next five to seven years. The franchisee aims to open in Pembroke Pines, Port St. Lucie and Orlando by the end of the year.
This article appears in Sep 27 – Oct 5, 2018.
