Campbell's Dairyland Has New Owners Who Have Kept an Old Name Before

"We want to preserve what people love about Campbell's Dairyland and continue its tradition in the community."

That's Chris and Karrie Mueller, talking to the Osprey Observer in August 2026 after buying the walk-up restaurant at 200 S. Parsons Ave. Every new owner says something like this. The Muellers have a better claim than most, because they've done it before with an ice cream shop older than Campbell's. They aren't the only ones. The Brandon-bound expansion of Wright's Gourmet House is following the same pattern. Brandon's most familiar food names are being bought by people whose business is keeping old names alive.

A chili dog recipe older than the sign

Campbell's Dairyland didn't start as an ice cream stand. According to the Osprey Observer's account, it grew in stages:

1. Before 1985: Founder Boyd Campbell sells chili dogs at local events, made from a family chili recipe five generations old.
2. 1985: Boyd and his wife, Pam Campbell, buy an ice cream business then called Dairy Isle and start serving chili dogs next to the cones.
3. 1993: The business becomes Campbell's Dairyland.
4. 1998: The Campbells sell to their daughters, Jill Paules and Leesa Lee, who run it with their husbands, Jay Paules and James Lee.
5. 2025: James Lee dies.
6. 2026: Dairy Joy owners Chris and Karrie Mueller buy the restaurant.

So it's been family-run for more than three decades, and it already changed hands once inside the family. The Crosstown Journal describes the menu as burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and fries, plus milkshakes, soft-serve, and sundaes, all ordered at a walk-up counter. The Muellers say they're keeping the Campbell's Dairyland name and the restaurant's identity.

Neither story gives a closing date for the sale. Neither confirms any changes to specific menu items, hours, or the building. The Crosstown Journal advises checking current information before a special trip, since hours and menus can shift after a change in ownership. That's good advice for the next few months.

The Muellers already run a shop from 1958

The new owners' track record is what gives their promise weight. Dairy Joy says it dates to 1958, and that Chris and Karrie Mueller took it over in 2018. Eight years later, it still goes by Dairy Joy and still calls 3813 S. Manhattan Ave. in South Tampa its original shop. Its website also lists a Seminole shop at 5994 Seminole Blvd. and a Jacksonville location at The Block Jax. The couple also owns Xtreme Juice in South Tampa.

Dairy Joy's history matters for Brandon. When a family that already runs one old-fashioned ice cream shop under its original name buys a second one, keeping the Campbell's sign up isn't a gamble. It's how they already run their business. The Crosstown Journal asked the obvious question, whether Campbell's will turn into a Dairy Joy, and reported the owners' answer as no.

Wright's Gourmet House is coming to Brandon the same way

A few miles north, a second legacy brand is taking the same route. Wright's Gourmet House opened in South Tampa in 1963 and stayed in the Wright family until 2024. That year Caspers Co. bought it from Jeff Mount, grandson of founders Marjorie and Pete Wright.

Caspers Co. belongs to siblings Blake Casper and Allison Casper Adams. Their family was once Florida's largest McDonald's franchisee, and the company ran nine McDonald's restaurants in the Brandon area before selling to McDonald's corporate in 2022. The siblings also own Oxford Commons, the hospitality group behind Oxford Exchange. According to the Osprey Observer, the company took its time after the purchase to make sure Wright's longtime recipes and quality could hold up as it grew. Since the acquisition, the staff has more than doubled under director of operations Yesy Cruz.

The two handoffs look alike:

Brandon gets a much bigger version of Wright's than South Tampa ever had. The plan calls for about 15,000 square feet at 328 Brandon Town Center Dr., near Brandon Exchange, in the building Abby Iron Doors used most recently and Peltz Shoes before that. It would combine the cafe with a bakery, espresso bar, gourmet market, and larger catering kitchen. The menu would add grab-and-go meals, take-and-bake items, and Wright's-branded products to the breakfast, deli sandwiches, cakes, and cookies it's known for. The target is summer 2027, with about 100 jobs. Wright's opened its first satellite cafe at Tampa General Hospital's Davis Islands campus in February. A Wesley Chapel location at Wiregrass Ranch is planned for summer 2028.

Until then, the original is still at 1200 S. Dale Mabry Highway, and Wright's takes calls at 813-253-3838. Brandon is the first place the Wright's name will appear at this size, and the person bringing it here once ran nine local McDonald's.

Up Parsons, the founder still runs the pumpkin lot

Some traditions don't need a buyer yet. At the northeast corner of Lumsden Road and Parsons Avenue, 106 E. Lumsden Ave., Dave's Pumpkin Patch is back for its season. Owner Dave Morrow got into pumpkins in 1996 helping his son sell them through school. He opened his own lot two years later, and the family-owned business has supported Brandon, Valrico, and FishHawk PTAs since 1998.

So the same stretch of Parsons Avenue holds two kinds of staying power. Campbell's is moving to its third set of owners. Dave's is in its 28th season under the man who started it. The lot carries pie, mini, jack-o'-lantern, white, and blue pumpkins, plus gourds, corn stalks, hay and straw bales, and garden mums. Now and then Morrow brings in "Big Mac" pumpkins that weigh 70 to 80 pounds. Pumpkins start at $4. The lot is open weekdays from 1 to 8 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., through Saturday, October 31.

"My most favorable part of the operation is seeing how the little kids react to all the pumpkins and how they make them smile," Morrow told the Osprey Observer.

The rest of the fall calendar, old and new

Newcomers keep arriving around these older names. Here's what's on the calendar from now through December:

• Jeff's Bagel Run, 875 E. Bloomingdale Ave. This Central Florida bagel franchise soft-opened Wednesday, September 30. It's open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is the company's second Tampa Bay location after South Tampa.
• Fear Fest Grounds, next to Winthrop Barn Theatre at 11349 Bloomingdale Ave. The Dominguez family is putting on three haunted houses with live actors, a house for kids, a horror circus show, a foam party, and food vendors. It runs October 9 to 11, 16 to 18, and 23 to 25, then Thursday through Saturday, October 29 to 31. Hours are 5 to 11 p.m., with Sundays ending at 10. It's an independent event hosted at Winthrop, not run by Winthrop. Details are at Fear Fest Grounds.
• Brandon Parade of Lights, Saturday, December 12, at 5:30 p.m. The route runs along Oakfield Drive from near South Lakewood Drive, across Kings Avenue, to Vonderburg Drive. It features krewes, high school marching bands, decorated floats, and boats towed by vehicles. Admission is free, according to the Central Hillsborough Chamber.

For an October afternoon on Parsons, start at Dave's lot before it closes for the season on Halloween, then go about a block south to 200 S. Parsons Ave. for a milkshake under new owners who've said the sign stays.

Owners who know what to keep shape how a legacy business changes hands, and the same goes for a home with a long story behind it. If you're thinking about what your Brandon home is worth before you make your next move, Carter Company Realtors can give you a number based on local knowledge. Get Your Free Home Valuation.