A new pizzeria with a self-pour tap wall and pizzas that bake in under two minutes has opened inside the Alafia Commons Publix shopping center in Lithia. Smokin' Oak Wood-Fired Pizza & Taproom, located at 5607 Circa FishHawk Blvd., opened at the beginning of August and is already positioning itself as a gathering spot for local families and friends.
The Lithia shop is owned and operated by Lauren and Korey Hoger, who according to the Osprey Observer have lived in the area for more than eight years and spent the last year and a half waiting for the right space to open while learning what the community likes to eat. Lauren Hoger said the couple is excited to bring Smokin' Oak to the Lithia community, and the pair hope to eventually expand with additional Smokin' Oak locations, with plans that reportedly include Wesley Chapel and the Bradenton and Sarasota areas, per the same outlet.
Korey Hoger told the Osprey Observer that the franchise's clean and smooth system, simple menu and Midwest origins are what drew the Hogers to the concept in the first place. That Midwest lineage traces back to Rochester, Minnesota, where co-founder Linda Black opened Pi Wood-Fired Pizza in 2009 before partnering with Matt Mongoven to franchise the fast-casual concept nationally starting in 2016, according to 1851 Franchise.
Pizza Cooked in Under Two Minutes
At the heart of the operation is a high-temperature, oak wood-fired oven that cooks pizzas in less than two minutes, letting guests watch their pies being prepared in an open kitchen. The Osprey Observer reports the kitchen uses fresh ingredients and authentic preparation, with dough and sauces made in-house daily. Diners can customize their orders with more than 35 toppings or choose from specialty pies including buffalo chicken pizza, Smokey Dokey, and Porky Pine, the latter loaded with smoky ham, crispy bacon, juicy pineapple and mozzarella.
The ovens themselves burn oak wood aged for 12 months and reach temperatures near 900 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing individual 10-inch pizzas to bake in as little as 90 to 120 seconds, according to WhatNow. That outlet also notes the Lithia location marks Smokin' Oak's second Florida restaurant, following the chain's earlier debut in Brooksville on Cortez Boulevard.
Twenty Taps, Six Cocktails and Two Wines
The taproom side of the business centers on a self-pour tap wall with 20 taps, including 12 beers — some from local Tampa Bay breweries — alongside six mixed alcoholic drinks and two wines, per the Osprey Observer's rundown of the menu. Smokin' Oak first introduced its automated self-pour model in 2020, using iPourIt RFID wristband technology that lets patrons pour drinks by the ounce, according to AY Magazine.
Adding that self-pour infrastructure isn't cheap: outfitting a standard Smokin' Oak location with a tap wall requires an additional equipment investment of between $90,000 and $180,000 depending on tap capacity, per corporate materials cited by 1851 Franchise. Florida law permits self-pour systems in commercial venues as long as staff verify a customer's age and identity before issuing the RFID activation devices, according to a report referenced by Medium. Restaurants pouring alcohol under the state's Special Food Service liquor licenses must also keep at least 51 percent of gross sales coming from food and non-alcoholic beverages, a requirement outlined by RCS Training.
A High-Growth Corner of FishHawk
The new pizzeria sits inside a 52,600-square-foot retail center built in 2019 at an intersection along FishHawk Boulevard that sees roughly 28,500 vehicles pass daily, according to a LoopNet listing for the property. That traffic reflects Lithia's broader growth: the surrounding 33547 ZIP code carries a median household income of $129,580 as of 2024, well above the national median of $74,580, per data from Eaton Realty. Alafia Commons itself has kept expanding, with Phase II additions in 2025 and 2026 bringing in tenants like My Favorite Muffin, StretchLab and Rock 'N' Roll Sushi, according to Bokor's Corner.
Inside, Smokin' Oak offers indoor seating and an outdoor patio, along with more than 11 TVs for guests who want to catch a game while they eat. The restaurant employs approximately 25 team members. It's open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and can be reached at 813-776-6546.
The opening adds to a busy year for new food and drink concepts in Lithia, following the launch of tea-and-cocktail spot White Oak Cottage this summer. It also arrives amid a broader wave of self-pour taproom concepts opening and closing around the country, a trend Hoodline has tracked from Denver to Colorado's LoHi neighborhood.
