Axios Tampa Bay

May 16, 2025
Friday! We did it!
😎 Nothin' but rays. 92°/73°.
Sounds like: "Coffee," Sylvan Esso
🎂 Happy early birthday to our Axios Tampa Bay member Phil Hill!
🥴 Situational awareness: The state Florida Department of Health issued swim advisories for Clearwater Beach near Mandalay Park, Sand Key County Beach and Indian Rocks County Beach due to high levels of enterococci bacteria — AKA fecal pollution. Ew.
- The advisory will be lifted once resampling shows the water is back to normal. Check the department's water quality sampling data here.
Today's newsletter is 857 words, a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Tampa ❤️'s Dutch Bros
👋 Yacob here. Tampa got its first Dutch Bros over the weekend. The result: a clogged street, a line of cars and more sugar than anyone needs.
Why it matters: South Tampa's roads are narrow, uneven and cracked, and now with Dutch Bros and its fans and its lines, they're chaos with a caramel drizzle.
- But hey, the coffee's good.
Zoom in: I made my pilgrimage to the Oregon-based coffee chain Wednesday at 10:30am.
- An employee with a bright vest and a walkie-talkie waved me out of the drive-thru line and into an overflow lot beside a church. I waited there until 11.
- One employee told me South Tampa's Dutch Bros averages 130 customers an hour. Another said the number climbs past 150 during the peak, between noon and 3pm.
- When I commented on the wait, they said, "This is slow." I made it out of the drive-thru at 11:30am.
State of Sip: I ordered the iced Caramelizer, because an employee recommended it, and the iced Poppin' Boba Fire Lizard Rebel, to see what kind of person would. Put together, I drank 800 liquid calories.
- The Caramelizer seems to be made for someone who doesn't like the taste of coffee — lots of milk and lots of sugar. The iced Poppin' Boba Fire Lizard Rebel tastes like melted Skittles.
Pro-tips: Order a small, don't drink two.
💭 Our thought bubble, via Axios Portland's Meira Gebel: Born and raised in southern Oregon more than 30 years ago, Dutch Bros has been on a rapid franchise expansion kick since the company went public in 2021.
- It's hellbent on getting the rest of America hyped on its signature, colorful and highly-caffeinated beverages — with flavor names like Unicorn Blood, Vampire Slayer and Shark Attack — the Pacific Northwest has come to love.
What we're watching: Dutch Bros is headed to Riverview next.
2. 🥳 Get your weekend on
It's the weekend! Let's have some fun.
🎺 Young Lions Jazz Festival, Largo: Jam out with student jazz musicians and the Clearwater Jazz Holiday Outreach Band at this free festival, also featuring food trucks and beer for sale.
- Noon-8pm Saturday, Largo Central Park
🇮🇹 St. Pete Italian Fest, St. Pete: Sample Italian food staples from local vendors, an Italian car show, wine tastings and more. Tickets start at $19.10, with kids under 10 free.
- 10am-5pm Saturday, Vinoy Park
🍴 Taste of Tarpon, Tarpon Springs: Grab your map and explore more than 20 restaurants across downtown. Golf carts will be on hand to help you get around (tips welcome). Tickets are $25.
- 12:30-5:30pm Saturday, pick up your map at COhatch Tarpon Springs
🌋 The Magic of Science, Tampa: This one's for the kids. At this free event, they'll make a container of bubbly "lava" and use paper clips and magnets to… paint? Maybe adults will learn something too.
- 11am-3pm Saturday, Lakeshore Learning
🥂 Gospel Brunch, Ybor City: Head to the buffet for more with a soundtrack of uplifting R&B and gospel music. Also: all-you-can-drink mimosas. Tickets are $12.50.
- 11am-3pm Saturday, 7th + Grove
3. The Pulp: Scientology backs out of Clearwater land buy
🚰 Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that bans fluoride from tap water. It goes into effect July 1. (WLRN)
⏪ The Church of Scientology backed out of plans to buy a stretch of Garden Avenue in downtown Clearwater after a City Council member indicated he was withdrawing his support for the project. (Fox13)
- The church, which owns nearly 200 properties downtown, planned on closing the street to the public and building an auditorium and park.
- A group of residents opposed the plan and called for the land to be converted into a public park and green space honoring the city's history.
4. 🎫 Jammin' on a budget
Live Nation's new summer concert promotion is coming, and the live music behemoth will offer $30 tickets to roughly 1,000 concerts.
Why it matters: The "$30 Ticket to Summer" launches May 21 and includes shows from Nelly, Luke Bryan, Halsey, blink-182, Leon Bridges, Billy Idol, Kesha, Willie Nelson and more.
Flashback: Last summer, Live Nation celebrated 10 years of "Concert Week" with $25 tickets, but those deals only lasted one week.
- This new promotion will add more tickets throughout the summer, giving fans more flexibility.
Between the lines: Tickets purchased through the offer include all fees in the $30 cost, according to Live Nation. Any taxes, which will differ between venues, will be added at checkout.
The bottom line: If you're a little flexible, enjoying the concert season this summer doesn't have to cost you hundreds.
5. 📣 Don't blow it off
Look, we don't want to think about it either, but hurricane season starts in two weeks.
State of play: We've got some storm prep stories coming up and would love to hear from you:
- What questions can we help answer?
- What's your must-have hurricane prep item?
- After last year's brutal season, are you doing anything differently this year?
📬 Hit reply or email us at [email protected], and we may include your submission in a future newsletter.
Plus: Several governments will hold hurricane expos this month to help residents prepare.
- Tampa: May 31
- Pinellas County and St. Pete: May 31
- Seminole: May 21
- Treasure Island: May 28
🌄 Kathryn is psyched that she scored passes to the watch the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park during her trip to Maine!
😮💨 Yacob is still recovering from the iced Poppin' Boba Fire Lizard Rebel.
This newsletter was edited by Jeff Weiner.
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