2 Fast-Food Chains We Need In Tampa

Do we really need new fast-food restaurant chains in the Tampa area? That's probably a fair question and response to this article's title. Hang in there with me for a minute.

Let's first be clear: no, we don't need more chicken or burger places. We are secure with our place in that world. In fact, I'm a fan of many of them, and I have a few favorite chains that I think are fantastic.

However, thanks to the Wolf of Franchises, I have recently learned about the business behind a few fast-food chains that are mostly Midwest-based, which I think sound very appealing. Furthermore, I believe they would be well-received and experience nice sales numbers in Florida.

So, in no particular order, let's jump in the car and drive through these new restaurants that would be great to bring to the Sunshine State.

I'm not even a soda drinker, but I would hit this place regularly for a refreshing delight. If you are unfamiliar with Swig (as I was), here is what you need to know: They offer a menu of roughly 80 different sodas.

Now, many of them are based on some of your favorites, like Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew. However, here is where things get interesting. They mix in flavors to create something completely unique to sip. Examples of this include the "Spring Fling," which is Dr. Pepper with strawberry puree, vanilla, and coconut cream.

The soda categories at Swig are organized by sodas, revivers, and refreshers, and you can create your own. The x-factor with Swig is that they use crushed ice. This makes the drink extra refreshingly cold, and you can eat the ice, which retains some of the sugary flavor of your soda.

I envision this drive-thru in Florida to be a quick line where guests would love to bring their kids.

"Since our humble beginning in 1968 as a general store in Boone, Iowa, Casey’s has steadily grown from the heart of one community to the next," Casey's says. As someone who drives quite a bit, I think a decent gas station pizza joint would be a welcome addition to the route.

Casey's is often praised for their pizza in certain areas in the middle of the country. In fact, folks seek it out as a destination to grab food as opposed to a spot you are stopping at because it's right there on the highway during your drive.

"For more than 35 years, we’ve been perfecting our famous handmade pizza with new offerings such as thin crust, or keep it classic with original," Casey's continues, even explaining they make a breakfast pizza. That, too, would be a unique menu item in the area.

The Tampa Bay Rays started in Major League Baseball in 1998. Originally called the "Devil Rays," the expansion team opened at home 25 years ago today (March 31, 1998), taking on the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field. Coincidentally, the Rays opened their season yesterday at home, beating the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field. Though the club has had numerous all-star players over the years, the Tampa Bay Rays retired numbers are slim. The group contains only one person who was a player on the team.

Over the years, Tampa has been a breeding ground of great baseball players. Rays legends such as Fred McGriff and Tino Martinez are from Tampa, as is the team's current manager, Kevin Cash.

The retired numbers are displayed inside the park on a wall that is to the left of the center field scoreboard. One of these numbers represents a manager who ended his career as an advisor with the Rays and was a Tampa, FL resident. The other two numbers reflect players, but again, only one of them actually played for the Rays. He too, called Tampa home.

The Rays will sport numerous uniform options this season. They will pay tribute to their anniversary with the throwback Devil Rays look on Friday home games (in addition to opening day). Over the course of the season, they will call up various players from their minor league system. These players, like the current roster and coaching staff, will immediately have three numbers unavailable to them regardless of the colorful uniform combination.

Here are the official Tampa Bay Rays retired numbers.