Downtown South (Sunrail/Amtrak, SODO, Orlando Health, Lymmo, Orange/Michigan Avenues)

[AndyPok1]

I just want that Applebees to close to be honest.  Even for the standard of Applebees.... its the worst applebees I've ever been to.  My kingdom for a Chili's if we're going to have generic chains

[bqknight]

17 minutes ago, codypet said:

I was always under the impression they were different owners.  The old Albertson's/Walmart and the old Blockbuster/Applebee's.  Unless they're all the same company under different names.  Its funny because when you posted that I was thinking they just opened that Applebee's, but it's been almost 10 years.   I will add that Domino's just moved there a few years back from FernCreek, so I don't know how long their lease is.

Also - what are they going to expand too? Definitely not a full Walmart. It appears about the same size as other Neighborhood Markets I’ve been too - but maybe I’m wrong. 

[spenser1058]

12 minutes ago, bqknight said:

Also - what are they going to expand too? Definitely not a full Walmart. It appears about the same size as other Neighborhood Markets I’ve been too - but maybe I’m wrong. 

Sgt. Shultz and I know nothing about this store in particular but I have read Walmart is moving away from Neighborhood Markets. (Interesting strategy study -Target and Publix are getting smaller while Walmart starts moving the other way: discuss).

[codypet]

I though Walmart moved into the neighborhood market format because the SuperCenter format was so polarizing.  A WM Discount City and a WM neighborhood market mashed together and you get a WM SuperCenter.  I do recall them doing away with WM Express though.

[spenser1058]

30 minutes ago, codypet said:

I though Walmart moved into the neighborhood market format because the SuperCenter format was so polarizing.  A WM Discount City and a WM neighborhood market mashed together and you get a WM SuperCenter.  I do recall them doing away with WM Express though.

The theory is correct but apparently NM’s aren’t meeting the numbers (the margins aren’t great).

As Walmart is ramping up grocery online, NM probably makes less sense.

Truth be told, Walmart is probably never going to be a best fit in the trendy little neighborhoods where they would work. 

Walmart’s strength is still in rural areas, suburbs and exurbs where they can mostly build large, I think.

(Heck, even a classy joint like Wegmans is all about big stores in the ‘burbs, not in town.)

We should also note that stores like Earth Fare and Fresh Market are barely keeping their heads above water. Whole Foods was a mess before Amazon and the turnaround there has been iffy.

Meanwhile, profitwise, Publix still rules the roost. Almost no one can touch their bottom line. Go figure.

Edited June 25, 2019 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, bqknight said:

Also - what are they going to expand too? Definitely not a full Walmart. It appears about the same size as other Neighborhood Markets I’ve been too - but maybe I’m wrong. 

I think the one on S. Semoran and Pershing is a bit bigger.

Better selection of products, too.

[spenser1058]

10 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

I think the one on S. Semoran and Pershing is a bit bigger.

Better selection of products, too.

But can ANYONE really compete with the Curry Ford Winn-Dixie? 

On another note, incredibly big box Costco continues to be one of the most successful retailers. I am SOOO not their target market (other than by age) but they’re still cleaning up. 

I don’t get it but you can’t argue with success. Sometimes things just work.

Edited June 25, 2019 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

3 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

But can ANYONE really compete with the Curry Ford Winn-Dixie? 

No, but only in terms of being so conveniently close to my house.

[Jvest55]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

We should also note that stores like Earth Fare and Fresh Market are barely keeping their heads above water. Whole Foods was a mess before Amazon and the turnaround there has been iffy.

Meanwhile, profitwise, Publix still rules the roost. Almost no one can touch their bottom line. Go figure.

What makes you say that Earth Fare is not doing well?

You can't compare Earth Fare to Publix, they are not even on the same planet.

[codypet]

44 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

I think the one on S. Semoran and Pershing is a bit bigger.

Better selection of products, too.

That might only be because that was a full sized Winn-Dixie that was turned into a WMNM.

34 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

But can ANYONE really compete with the Curry Ford Winn-Dixie? 

We haven't yet found anything that matches it in terms of convenience for the same reasons JFW says.  Even Lucky's is not as easy to deal with as W/D.

I'm looking at you Aldi.  There's a perfectly good abandoned Walgreen's next door you can take.

[spenser1058]

11 minutes ago, Jvest55 said:

What makes you say that Earth Fare is not doing well?

You can't compare Earth Fare to Publix, they are not even on the same planet.

I’m strictly talking in terms of their financials - they have been struggling a bit.

Being owned by a private equity fund rarely helps as they take a lot of whatever profits you make. Such ownership rarely ends well.

I have no opinion one way or another on the store itself - I’ve only driven by.

[Jvest55]

1 minute ago, spenser1058 said:

I’m strictly talking in terms of their financials - they have been struggling a bit.

Being owned by a private equity fund rarely helps as they take a lot of whatever profits you make. Such ownership rarely ends well.

I have no opinion one way or another on the store itself - I’ve only driven by.

Ok so I am asking you, how do you know they are struggling? You admit that you have "only driven by" 

Have you read their financials? There is no basis to your statement. 

[HankStrong]

3 hours ago, AndyPok1 said:

I just want that Applebees to close to be honest.  Even for the standard of Applebees.... its the worst applebees I've ever been to.  My kingdom for a Chili's if we're going to have generic chains

As someone who (like you) lived in Columbus for a bit, I truly miss the Happy Hour Big Brutus from Applebees up North.  I can't say that I like Chili's any better, but the Applebees in the South <<<<< up North.

[spenser1058]

42 minutes ago, Jvest55 said:

Ok so I am asking you, how do you know they are struggling? You admit that you have "only driven by" 

Have you read their financials? There is no basis to your statement. 

There have been red flags which popped up over the past few years.

For example, in one 20-month period they opened 8 stores but turned right around and closed four.Given they only had 37 stores at the time (there are 46 according to a most recent count), that’s a lot of churn in a short time.

Because they are part of a private equity fund (and one that keeps information very close to the vest), it’s a challenge to break out numbers. Certainly, if you have numbers that suggest things have changed, I welcome them. You certainly seem very passionate about them - do you work for them?

I wish Earth Fare no ill will. I am happy to have them just south of downtown. The model seems to suggest challenges in what is a currently hyper competitive field.

 

 

[nite owℓ]

I'll see if I can get clarification on the specifics. I suspect the expansion is more of a renovation  within the footprint of the existing store because the brief description of the area to be expanded kinda left me scratching my head. I didn't question the feasibility of the expansion at the time.

Even though Walmart has been closing "non performing" locations that are in direct competition with itself, they also plan to invest in store makeovers. Whatever that means for the SODO location, at the very least I really hope they add a grocery pick-up service there.

 

[JFW657]

2 hours ago, codypet said:

That might only be because that was a full sized Winn-Dixie that was turned into a WMNM.

Yes, and there are probably other locations that previously housed other, bigger stores. There's also one way out east on Curry Ford near the 417 that's pretty big, too.

I think the SODO location is actually a little smaller than average.

1 hour ago, nite owℓ said:

Whatever that means for the SODO location, at the very least I really hope they add a grocery pick-up service there.

I thought they already had one. I seem to remember hearing something about it.

[nite owℓ]

1 hour ago, JFW657 said:

I thought they already had one. I seem to remember hearing something about it.

You mean I've been shopping during odd off-peak hours for no reason? lol The last time I inquired there (about a year ago) they hadn't started the pickup service yet. I cannot stand Walmart crowds...

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, nite owℓ said:

You mean I've been shopping during odd off-peak hours for no reason? lol The last time I inquired there (about a year ago) they hadn't started the pickup service yet. I cannot stand Walmart crowds...

I seem to remember getting some emails about it.

I considered it for about a half a second.

[Jernigan]

New hotel (Townplace Suites I believe) going up next to the Hampton Inn on Columbia.

[spenser1058]

Hotels sure do seem to like Orlando Health, don’t they?

[Jernigan]

Signage up for Delaney Tavern.

[jgardnerucf]

Squinting to see it lol. And sheesh on placement.

[popsiclebrandon]

Is that on Orange? You might as well not put anything up if you make it that small.

[Jvest55]

2 hours ago, Jernigan said:

Signage up for Delaney Tavern.

I've been noticing signage is just terrible in Orlando, especially with new construction. Often in the worst spots, and tiny or behind trees capes. 

[spenser1058]

More signs like this, please!

http://www.orlandomagazine.com/Orlando-Magazine/August-2013/Missing-Magic/

From Orlando Magazine