Riverview Fuzzy's Taco Shop Opening Delayed Until March

RIVERVIEW, FL — Already a hit in Brandon, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop is bringing its laid-back, value-driven, fast-casual taco restaurant concept to Riverview.

The restaurant's owners expected to open Monday. However, due to unforeseen circumtances, the opening has been pushed back a few weeks. The restaurant will now open some time in March. Patch will announced the opening date when it's pinned down.

The Riverview Fuzzy's Taco Shop at 10240 Big Bend Road will be the fourth restaurant for the Tampa Bay natives and brothers Adam and Ian Lieberman.

Based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Fuzzy's Taco Shop offers scratch-made, boldly flavored Baja, California-inspired tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Specialties include fish tacos, burritos, nachos and queso.

"With our first local Fuzzy's built just up the road in neighboring Brandon, Riverview was a natural extension of our success in that market," said Adam Lieberman. "That combined with the fact that Riverview is one of the fastest-growing regions in the state make it a no-brainer for us."

"Riverview is also an incredibly diverse melting pot with a great mix of young families, professionals, retirees and singles of all different backgrounds and ethnicities," said Ian Lieberman. "With all of these positive fundamentals the people that live in Riverview need meeting places and at our core that's what Fuzzy's is. Also, Adam's home address is Riverview and it already is a place where many of our friends, customers and employees live."

The brothers have already hired 60 people for the Riverview restaurant and plan to hire 10 to 20 more employees.

"Our Fuzzy's in Riverview will be a place where people come for the food and stay for the drinks," said Adam Lieberman. "With a large, full liquor bar offering countless variations on the classic margarita, Fuzzy's is just a fun, laid-back place to hang out."

"We offer full service in our seated bar area. We are dog friendly on the patio. We host fundraisers and events for local people and organizations. We partner with major nonprofits throughout the region all year long and have made a habit of telling our customers and staff, 'If it's important to you, it's important to us.'" said Ian Lieberman.

"Our restaurants are clean, well-lit and well-designed, making them places you feel like you could sit and stay for a while," he continued. "We don't do the cattle call-style line where we encourage you to get your food and get out. We love it when our guests stay and enjoy the atmosphere which we work so hard to build."

Prior to the official opening next month, the Lieberman brothers will host a soft opening and fundraiser for the Love IV Lawrence foundation, started in honor of their friend, Lawrence Dimmitt IV, who died by suicide two years ago.

"Lawrence was an amazing person and friend and happened to be an investor in our restaurant company," said Adam Lieberman. "The foundation is for the benefit of mental health services, education and stigma-reducing programming throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Ultimately the foundation aims to save lives."

Opening day plans include free tacos for a year for the first 50 guests as well as a free special-edition Fuzzy's Riverview T-shirts for the first 100 guests.

In addition to the Brandon restaurant at 2874 Providence Lakes Blvd., the Liebermans have Fuzzy's Taco Shop in Lakeland and Temple Terrace.

The Lieberman brothers plan to open five more restaurants in the next four to five years. They are currently looking at sites along the State Road 54 corridor in Pasco County as well as in Winter Haven.

Hours for the new restaurant will be 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday and Monday.