Vic Abuolei
RIVERVIEW — Vic Abouli doesn’t want to have any sit-down restaurant in his new gas station and convenience store being built at 6411 and 6413 U.S. 301 S. in Riverview, just south of Bloomingdale.
That’s because he intends for his new plaza — called Victory Lane — to host a plethora of choices of foods.
The owner of the land and plaza, Abuoli has already locked in a Zeko’s Mediterranean Grill which specializes in Greek foods of all kinds, especially various kinds of “kabobs,” Gyros, Greek salads and wings. Now the closest Zekos are in Tampa and St. Petersburg. Abouli says bringing Mediterranean flavor to Riverview makes sense because of the changing demographics.
“This has become a real place for families, instead of somewhere to pass through to go to Tampa and Brandon,” he said. This came on the heels of an announcement that Riverview had made No. 65 on the CNN Money Magazine’s list of 100 best places to live in the U.S. but Abouli said he already knew Riverview was on its way up and his plans were well in place before that announcement was made.
He is now seeking to add an ice cream shop and a pizzeria to his list of prospective tenants.
“I don’t want to offer restaurant type food (in his convenience store like some other convenience stores) because that would compete with my tenants,” he explained. His convenience store will, however, have coolers stocked with drinks, sandwiches and other things normally found in such stores.
Also in the works are negotiations with a pharmacy, a tanning parlor and a nail salon, he said. He hopes to also attract a cell phone store.
His plaza has a total of 11,000 square feet and spaces are divided into 1,200-square-foot sections so that tenants can rent one, two or three spaces to get the amount they require.
“I’m looking to finish up in November and have the first move-ins then,” he said, showing me around the inside of his nearly-completed convenience store. He said he can put up inside walls in places needed by specific tenants if they rent more than one space.
Victory Lane is a multi-million dollar project, he said, and it is not his first.
The South County resident of 21 years, originally from California, has deep roots in the community. He and his wife and four children live in Gibsonton and he already owns and operates seven Mobil and BP gas stations in Brandon and has his main offices for Victory Oil in Tampa where he owns another three gas stations as well.
He admits the name “Victory” was chosen because of his name- Victor, although he is locally known only as “Vic.”
To find out more about this plaza or to lease space prior to opening, contact leasing agents Raquel or Jane at Levin Investments in Tampa at (813) 832-5500.
