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Downtown Orlando Project Discussion


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9 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

While that’s a great idea, I think OBJ is speculating again.

I’m trying to think of where Publix has used such a non-standard building like that before (Publix likes boxes even for its smaller downtown stores).

Further, it would make more sense for Publix to go where there are or will be more folks living such as  uptown or CV (or the Sentinel site).

I really think a Publix Green Wise or the new student format for a second downtown location is a good idea. I suspect that’s not it.

Publix kicks the tires on all kinds of deals all the time. A few years ago, Publix execs and Safeway execs were seen touring stores together and the media decided Safeway was buying out the Publix families. Of course, it didn’t happen.

The owners of the Walgreens at Church and Orange said they were looking for retail at CSS. I expect something but not a Publix.

How would they ever source and store their foods? 

Love the idea - yet also skeptical.

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13 hours ago, KJHburg said:

However since Publix is based in nearby Lakeland they might be using this as a prototype or even test store to see if they want to expand this type of store into other urban markets in their footprint.    We have a tiny Teeter a small 12,000 sq ft Harris Teeter (Charlotte's major grocery chain) and it works pretty well on the ground floor of a mid rise condo.  It has been open for years uptown and now we have a full size Whole Foods and Publix wants to build a regular size store too.   A place to get basics and something the size of those Amazon Go stores they have in Seattle.

This sounds weird but Orlando is actually not part of the Lakeland Division for Publix.

We belong to Jacksonville which is the least innovative of all the Publix divisions.

You’re right that they like to try things out close to home which is why the first village format (like Eola) was in Tampa as was one of the first GreenWise Markets and the first collegiate store at USF, all in the Lakeland District.

We, otoh, tend to lag on any Publix innovation and simply serve as the cash cow.

Edited by spenser1058
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A lynching memorial has been proposed for downtown’s Heritage Square. It will tell the story of July Perry, a victim of the Ocoee Massacre in the 1920’s who was lynched by the old Orange County Courthouse that was located on the park’s site.

https://bungalower.com/2019/04/07/downtown-orlando-may-get-a-lynching-memorial/

From Bungalower 

Edited by spenser1058
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On 4/5/2019 at 6:38 PM, spenser1058 said:

While that’s a great idea, I think OBJ is speculating again.

I’m trying to think of where Publix has used such a non-standard building like that before (Publix likes boxes even for its smaller downtown stores).

Further, it would make more sense for Publix to go where there are or will be more folks living such as  uptown or CV (or the Sentinel site).

I really think a Publix Green Wise or the new student format for a second downtown location is a good idea. I suspect that’s not it.

Publix kicks the tires on all kinds of deals all the time. A few years ago, Publix execs and Safeway execs were seen touring stores together and the media decided Safeway was buying out the Publix families. Of course, it didn’t happen.

The owners of the Walgreens at Church and Orange said they were looking for retail at CSS. I expect something but not a Publix.

probably, but I wouldn't be surprised if Publix is feeling the pinch.  First it was Aldi a few years ago.  Now, ever since Whole Foods expanded a little in Orlando and Fresh Market opened up a couple of locations, Trader Joe's opened up and opened up a distribution center in DB .  Then, places like Lucky's, Earth Fare, & Sprouts opened up, and, Lucky's ala Kroger (right?) is opening up a distribution center in Groveland.  Publix has a Lucky's opening up near Fashion Square.  Lucky's already opened up at Pineloch.  Earthfare is open more or less downtown now.  

The 17/92 corridor Publix's in WP (2) have to contend with Whole Foods and Trader Joes.  However, the closed hardware store near Krispy Kreme is a similar sized space to a, say, Lucky's?  The downtown Publix has Earthfare to contend with.  

I think Publix knows or senses that another grocer is looking at downtown and they want to make sure they pull customers from all corners.

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Fresh Market and Earth Fare (and Winn-Dixie, for that matter) are owned by private equity funds. Because the funds load them up with so much debt and suck out all the profits, they rarely perform well over time (W-D has already been in bankruptcy multiple times, FM is on the list of most expected 2019 bankruptcies, and EF is so small a chain and its profits have been mediocre to date).

Aldi doesn’t directly compete with Publix - Publix doesn’t compete on price and Aldi could care less about customer service.

So far, Whole Foods hasn’t impressed anyone since Amazon bought it.

That leaves Lucky’s Market (aka Kroger) and whatever the new Amazon-branded store is. Publix has been able to run Kroger out of Florida before and holds its own with them further north. (Walmart doesn’t compete directly and SuperTarget has to decide what it wants to be when it grows up). Publix will need to innovate but its commanding market share gives it some time.

I believe you’re totally correct that Publix will open a second store downtown or close by (probably GW or the collegiate format depending where it goes). I am absolutely convince it won’t be the Church Street Station, however. Publix has yet to operate out of anything except standard boxes of varying sizes and as the chain most reluctant to do anything differently (and in the most conservative division of any in Publixdom), that’s not going to change here, especially given better options just a few blocks north.

As always, we’ll just have to wait to see who’s correct.

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18 hours ago, JFW657 said:

I do believe that may be the first Yakov Smirnoff reference in the history of UP Orlando.

Congrats are definitely in order!!!! :hi:

Thank you!  Thank you!

 

I went to Earth Fare this weekend to check it out.  I'm going to say that it appears to be an expensive Lucky's.  It was very friendly and inviting, although, they may have overhyped their team a bit.  I had a little chat with their "cheese expert" and their "wine expert" who both are definitely still in the learning process about their subjects of expertise.    I think they might want to introduce themselves as the "cheese person" or the "wine person" until they master their crafts a bit.  I can't imagine what would happen if someone knew what they were talking about chatted them up.  I'm far from an expert in either, but felt like one.  Other than that, it was nice.  It was very expensive, though.

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1 hour ago, HankStrong said:

I'm going to say that it appears to be an expensive Lucky's

The major difference between Lucky's (and all the other grocery stores) and Earth Fare is the latter has a much larger selection of organic products and sources more locally. That is their major differentiator. Earth Fare is more like Whole Foods was back in the early 2000s. As Spencer has mentioned Earth Fare is owned by a PE fund, so return on investment will determine if they are able to maintain their version of better product/ higher priced strategy.

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2 hours ago, HankStrong said:

Thank you!  Thank you!

 

I went to Earth Fare this weekend to check it out.  I'm going to say that it appears to be an expensive Lucky's.  It was very friendly and inviting, although, they may have overhyped their team a bit.  I had a little chat with their "cheese expert" and their "wine expert" who both are definitely still in the learning process about their subjects of expertise.    I think they might want to introduce themselves as the "cheese person" or the "wine person" until they master their crafts a bit.  I can't imagine what would happen if someone knew what they were talking about chatted them up.  I'm far from an expert in either, but felt like one.  Other than that, it was nice.  It was very expensive, though.

I went there myself around last Wednesday or Thursday. I enjoyed the experience and saw some decent sales & specials. Bought a couple of Endangered Species, 72% cocoa, dark chocolate bars that were on BOGO, but only with the Healthy Rewards card I had to sign up for in order to get the twofer. So, I got the two bars for under $3. Not bad. Went back to the deli and got a couple of slices of cheese pizza for $5. Pretty decent pizza too, btw. Was informed that they do a special deal on them every Friday, so I'll probably be heading back there in a couple of weeks or so. Went outside and took a stroll around the place. Pretty nice area. On the north side there's a nice little alcove will benches etc. that looked like it would be a cool place for residents to have little gatherings and whatnot.

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52 minutes ago, AmIReal said:

The major difference between Lucky's (and all the other grocery stores) and Earth Fare is the latter has a much larger selection of organic products and sources more locally. That is their major differentiator. Earth Fare is more like Whole Foods was back in the early 2000s. As Spencer has mentioned Earth Fare is owned by a PE fund, so return on investment will determine if they are able to maintain their version of better product/ higher priced strategy.

Lucky's seemed to have a lot of organic stuff, but I don't honestly care about organics most of the time so I'm a bad judge.  If something is organic, then great, but I don't shop based on whether it is or not.  We have friends who are serious into non-GMO, only organic, and the like, but we're just normal folks.  I prefer the nicer meats and usually (not always) get the Publix Greenwise meats when available. 

Most of the time I just rile people up with my opinions on Non-GMO.  Every single fruit or veg you eat is GMO.  Corn didn't look like that hundreds of years ago.  Tomatoes, berries, bananas, whatever.  They've been genetically modified (albeit the hard/slow way) for millennia.   The sum total of people killed by GMO foods is that GMO foods that go to market (maybe there have been Frankenstein ones in the lab?  I don't know) don't kill people.  The sum total of people on this planet who have been saved by GMOs is millions.  Do I think heartier wheat in drought-striken countries is bad?  No.  Do I think having longer shelf life on food is bad?  No. 

That said, do I think we need pickles that glow in the dark just for the fun factor? No.

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50 minutes ago, HankStrong said:

Lucky's seemed to have a lot of organic stuff, but I don't honestly care about organics most of the time so I'm a bad judge.  If something is organic, then great, but I don't shop based on whether it is or not.  We have friends who are serious into non-GMO, only organic, and the like, but we're just normal folks.  I prefer the nicer meats and usually (not always) get the Publix Greenwise meats when available. 

Most of the time I just rile people up with my opinions on Non-GMO.  Every single fruit or veg you eat is GMO.  Corn didn't look like that hundreds of years ago.  Tomatoes, berries, bananas, whatever.  They've been genetically modified (albeit the hard/slow way) for millennia.   The sum total of people killed by GMO foods is that GMO foods that go to market (maybe there have been Frankenstein ones in the lab?  I don't know) don't kill people.  The sum total of people on this planet who have been saved by GMOs is millions.  Do I think heartier wheat in drought-striken countries is bad?  No.  Do I think having longer shelf life on food is bad?  No. 

That said, do I think we need pickles that glow in the dark just for the fun factor? No.

I don't get the whole GMO hysteria either. It's as if people think that modifying the genetic properties of fruit and vegetables will screw around with the genes of people who eat them. 

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39 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

I don't get the whole GMO hysteria either. It's as if people think that modifying the genetic properties of fruit and vegetables will screw around with the genes of people who eat them. 

Yet, measles (which can actually kill a person) is making a comeback because Jenny McCarthy spouted fake science and told them so.

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9 minutes ago, HankStrong said:

Yet, measles (which can actually kill a person) is making a comeback because Jenny McCarthy spouted fake science and told them so.

It’s the latest variation on the crowd that was convinced the Communists put fluoride into the water supply instead of the dentists. We keep hoping the country will get smarter but...

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1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

It’s the latest variation on the crowd that was convinced the Communists put fluoride into the water supply instead of the dentists. We keep hoping the country will get smarter but...

but.... 

a7879c5c304efbe452c194e8041c9737ad3b184b

(I know I'm going to pay for that). :rolleyes:

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2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

It’s the latest variation on the crowd that was convinced the Communists put fluoride into the water supply instead of the dentists. We keep hoping the country will get smarter but...

LOL.

...but...the country can't get smarter...because...there's fluoride in the water!

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