🌱 Jack In The Box Plans Tampa Location + Gasparilla Arts Festival

Hello, everybody! It's me, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Tampa Patch newsletter. Here's all the community news you need to know right now. Today you'll find news about...

• The Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts returns today to Tampa
• 3 Daughters Brewing head brewer Ty Weaver was killed in a motorcycle collision on Thursday
• Jack in the Box is planning to expand into Florida, with the Tampa area as a major market being targeted

Today's newsletter is sponsored by Mai Tai Suites

Looking for a great place to put up guests in Dunedin?

We all know Dunedin is a great place to visit. And we love it when our friends and family come to town. We just don’t always want them to actually stay in our homes. But how do we get that across without sounding, you know, a little rude…?

Here’s an idea: strongly suggest they stay at the Mai Tai Suites. Owners John and Karen Bickford offer fully furnished 850 square foot 2-bed, 1-bath suites for less than the price of a hotel.

Mai Tai Suites is located off the Dunedin Causeway and is surrounded by St. Joseph's Sound. It’s convenient to Clearwater Beach and Downtown Dunedin. It’s also dog-friendly (with no pet fee), and offers a free guest pass to nearby Honeymoon Island State Park.

Invite all your friends and family to visit Dunedin — and tell them to book their rooms at Mai Tai Suites today. Book direct with Mai Tai Suites to save up to 15 percent of typical online booking site fees.

Now, today's weather: Humid; an afternoon shower. High: 84 Low: 68.

Business owners and marketers in Tampa: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top stories in Tampa today:

1. The Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts returns starting today, March 4 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to Sunday, March 5 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as Gasparilla season continues in Tampa. Artists at the festival will compete for a $15,000 Raymond James Best of Show Award and $77,000 in other prize money. Guests can also enjoy live entertainment, food, beverages, and more. (Tampa Patch)
2. A new report alleges that Tampa City Council candidate and millionaire Blake Casper is violating Tampa city rules by using his residential properties as commercial businesses without a city permit. An anonymous neighbor told the paper that Casper using the residential properties as a business is "disruptive" to the lives of those there. Records obtained by CL show that Tampa has received numerous complaints about the residential properties run by Casper who could soon have a seat on Tampa City Council. (Creative Loafing Tampa)
3. 3 Daughters Brewing head brewer Ty Weaver was killed in a motorcycle collision on Thursday, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The incident happened on the Sunshine Skyway bridge at 9:15 a.m. on Thursday morning. Weaver's family and 3 Daughters Brewing hope to start a foundation in his honor, but not have made official plans yet. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times, Free: Fox 13 Tampa)
4. California-based fast food giant Jack in the Box is coming to Florida and planning locations in the Tampa area. The chain has pages up for those interested in franchising in Tampa. Markets on the radar include Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Lakeland. The fast-food menu includes burgers, tacos, shakes, fries, and more. (WFLA)
5. Local events around the Tampa area in March are expected to generate $144.1 million for area businesses, according to an analysis from PredictHQ. The Florida Strawberry Festival itself could draw up to 500,000 attendees. The company ranks Tampa as the 4th busiest city in America for the month of March. (That's So Tampa)

Today in Tampa:

• Bank Of America Museums On Us Weekend. (10 a.m.)
• Friends of the Seminole Heights Library Book Sale. (10 a.m.)
• Mantra Pilates — Mega On The Mat at Armature Works. (9:30 a.m.)
• SunWest Crab & Shrimp Festival 2023 at SunWest Park. (11 a.m.)
• Cocktails & Couture X at The Ritz Ybor. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Tampa Bay Lightning shared: "We have re-assigned defenseman Darren Raddysh to the Syracuse Crunch." (Tampa Bay Lightning via Facebook)
• Tampa International Airport shared: "Interested in learning how to fly a helicopter? 😯 Student pilots now have a new option for training at Tampa Executive Airport! Read more on the link." (Tampa International Airport via Facebook)
• City of Tampa shared: "Bring us your beads! Have leftover beads from Gasparilla? Bring them to one of our bead reuse collection sites so they can be cleaned, sanitized, and reused. ♻️" (City of Tampa via Facebook)
• Busch Gardens Tampa Bay shared: "This is the LAST weekend to get jazzed up with Mardi Gras here at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. You have until today, Sunday, March 5 to enjoy live music, catch some festival beads, and savor the classic Cajun cuisine that Mardi Gras has to offer. 🎉😉" (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Sausage Fest (March 4)
• Shen Yun Classical Dance with Live Orchestra (March 7)
• Hope Spot Gala (March 19)
• Add your event

You're all caught up for today! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with your next update.

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Patch newsletter? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com