Q: When will Trader Joe's open in the former Borders bookstore in North Naples? I know they are working in there and have seen the sign “Trader Joe's Opening Soon.” Am anxious to have Trader Joe's here in Florida.
— Ann Boyle, Naples
Q: As a transplanted Californian born and raised on TJ's, looking forward to their opening. I'm a Sarasota resident, but it will be well worth the drive! Any updates on their opening of which you might be aware? Appreciate your time.
— L.L. Woods, Sarasota
A: Although Trader Joe’s originally announced it was opening a local store before the end of this year, it now will be some time early next year before the much-anticipated store opens, according to a spokeswoman for the California-based grocery chain, which has about 360 stores in 31 states.
Work on the company’s first Florida location has been progressing daily for weeks at 10600 U.S. 41 N. in North Naples’ Granada Shoppes, but a specific opening date for the store has not been scheduled, said Alison Mochizuki, director of national publicity for Trader Joe’s.
Trader Joe’s will occupy space previously home to a Borders superstore, but not the entire space of the former bookstore, which closed this spring after operating there for eight years. Trader Joe’s will occupy slightly less than 14,000 square feet of the defunct Borders’ nearly 22,000-square-foot space.
This size is consistent with other Trader Joe’s stores, which usually are only 10,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet, Mochizuki said.
The northernmost strip of that building, which includes the coffee shop area of the former bookstore, remains vacant for a future tenant. A wall now separates that area from the future grocery store.
Stop work orders issued last week by the state because of a workers’ compensation insurance issue delayed work less than half a day on the store, said a project manager for Treasure Island-based H.E. Feldman & Sons, which has a permit for a job valued at $650,000 for interior alterations of the store space.
The Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation ordered H.E. Feldman, The Construction Managers Inc. of Naples, and MDC Construction Inc. of Noblesville, Ind., to “cease all business operations for failure to secure payment of workers’ compensation by failing to obtain coverage that meets the requirements of (Florida Statue) Chapter 440, and the Insurance Code.” The orders were posted last Wednesday and Thursday in the window of the future grocery store.
On-site work resumed after the issue was quickly resolved.
“It set us back three and a half hours,” the project manager said.
Construction will be finished and the store will be handed off to Trader Joe’s in early December, the spokesman said. Of course, Trader Joe’s still will need to decorate, stock and staff the store before it can open for business.
Trader Joe's does not franchise, so the privately held company operates all of its stores, nearly half of which are in California. The company markets itself as the unique, little neighborhood grocer, and does not sell its products online.
Photo by TIM ATEN
After operating for at least 15 years, Dakota Jewelers closed July 1 at 4321 U.S. 41 N. in Park Shore Plaza
Dakota Jewelers no longer
Q: Do you know what happened to the jewelry store that was located in the Kmart and Home Good plaza on 41 in Naples? I left for the summer and came back and it was closed.
— Teresa Girouard, Naples
A: After operating for at least 15 years, Dakota Jewelers closed July 1, when its lease ended at 4321 U.S. 41 N. in Park Shore Plaza, said Francis Phelps and Omer Schwarz, who ran the former jewelry store.
“There’s no longer a Dakota Jewelers,” Phelps said.
Phelps and Schwarz now operate F & Schwarz Jewelry Co. LLC at 5600 U.S. 41 N., Suite 20, in Pine Ridge Plaza, off Trail Boulevard north of Pine Ridge Road and the Beacon Bowl.
A civil suit for contract and indebtedness was filed Sept. 19 in Collier Circuit Court by Centro Heritage Park Shore Shopping Center LLC vs. Dakota Jewelers Inc. and Gold N’ Things Inc. Representatives for neither Brixmor Property Group, the new company name for Centro, nor Dakota Jewelers would directly comment on the litigation.
Brixmor, the company that owns the shopping center, was not given notice that the jewelry store was moving out, said company spokeswoman Carol Merriman,
The former Dakota Jewelers location had been a jewelry store since it was originally Zale’s in 1973, and also was a previous location for Paul J. Schmidt Jewelers before it sat dormant for about eight years, Phelps said.
Photo by TIM ATEN
Chrissy's Courthouse Tavern will be the new name for Freddie Rebel's 2, which also formerly had been Chrissy's Bianchi's restaurant in the Courthouse Shadows shopping center in East Naples.
Local restaurant news
■ Chrissy’s Courthouse Tavern will be the new name for Freddie Rebel’s 2, which also formerly had been Chrissy’s Bianchi’s restaurant in Courthouse Shadows. It’s still in the same local family, of course, and is poised to be the most complete collaboration yet from restaurateurs Chrissy Bianchi-Rabil and Fadi Rabil, the husband-and-wife team who also operate Chrissy’s at Bayfront, Chrissy B’s in Tanglewood Marketplace, and Freddie Rebel’s Sports Bar & Grill in North Naples.
Look for the new tavern’s sign to be going up in the next week, said Fadi Rabil, who fashioned his East Naples place around a new indoor/outdoor bar.
“We completely redesigned it. It’s almost done,” he said. “I think I can open this month or the first week in December.”
Featuring a marriage of Chrissy’s and Freddie’s menus, the tavern will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, Rabil said.
■ Stoney’s Sports Cafe is back. Last Wednesday, Estero saw the return of the longtime Stoney’s Sports Café, a popular hangout for students at Florida Gulf Coast University. That location at 21253 Stoneybrook Golf Blvd., off Corkscrew Road, has come full circle after transitioning from Stoney’s to Johnny Malloy’s Sports Pub to Olympia Grille and Sports Lounge.
Photo by TIM ATEN
Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches is finally coming to North Naples in the first week of December in the Piper's Crossing strip center where Airport-Pulling Road meets Immokalee Road.
■ Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is finally coming to North Naples in the first week of December, said Nick DeFrancisco, manager of Jimmy John’s Estero store. The store, set to open in the Piper’s Crossing strip center where Airport-Pulling Road meets Immokalee Road, is nearly complete. Hiring will start soon for about 20 employees to staff the first Jimmy John’s franchise in Collier County, DeFrancisco said. Headquartered in Champaign, Ill., Jimmy John’s is a chain of sub shops with home delivery. The company, established nearly 30 years ago, has more than 1,000 stores nationwide, including about 40 in Florida.
Photo by TIM ATEN
Menchie's Frozen Yogurt opened this year in the Boulevard Shoppes, 6355 Naples Blvd., across from Hollywood 20 in North Naples.
■ Menchie's Frozen Yogurt, which originally planned to open its new North Naples location more than two months ago, should be open within the next few weeks at 6355 Naples Blvd., said Elizabeth Berry, a spokeswoman for the fast-growing California-based chain. The store is in the Boulevard Shoppes, the same outbuilding as RedBrick Pizza, across from Hollywood 20.
Photo by TIM ATEN
Subway opened in October in Collier County's fourth Walmart Supercenter, 11225 U.S. 41 N., near Immokalee Road.
■ Subway opened another local franchise about three weeks ago in the Collier County’s fourth Walmart Supercenter at 11225 U.S. 41 N., near Immokalee Road. Work began in February to expand the 16-year-old Walmart store from 122,000 square feet to 149,000 square feet, adding a Subway shop and a grocery section with produce, bakery, deli and meat departments. The store’s bakery opened Monday and the deli opens today during the store’s grand reopening this morning.
___
Have a question? Email it with your name and city of residence to intheknow@naplesnews.com.
Find a complete archive of "In the Know" columns at naplesnews.com/intheknow.
Collier County arrests 05-22-2012
Punta Gorda Prostitution Arrests…
Southwest Florida home sales: May 22…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 22
cmfl writes:
my prediction is that there will be major traffic problems at trader joes. the parking capacity is woefully inadequate. there will also be tremendously increased numbers of vehicles coming out and attempting to turn left on 41 without a traffic light and i am fearful that a nightmare situation is in the offing. there are people asleep at the switch with this one.
LSPinNaples writes:
Can't wait for TJ's to open. Its a great addition for Naples! Finally some good news
IMSufrin writes:
I was discussing same thing with my wife the other day. Really don't understand TJ's choice of location. So many other, better-suited locations available. Oh well, what do I know?
cozyboy writes:
Driving all the way from Sarasota, for TJ'S... must be nice. Sounds like a 30- 40 dollar gas trip. Oh well I've heard funnier things.
micirisi writes:
I would guess the relative inaccessibility was factored into TJ's lease agreement, plus if customers are willing to drive down from Sarasota, parking and access are likely not major concerns.
Steamroller writes:
Even if TJs chose a shopping center with ample parking and a good traffic pattern, the county would change it to make it more difficult to enter and exit. It seems to be a penchant they have to make driving as difficult as possible in Naples. Example: enter/exit Sam's Club, and GreenTree Shopping center.
naples759 writes:
now if they would open a few of their parent stores which are called 'adli's'. those are bare boned no-frills small supermarkets.
don't know if 'naples' would allow those, not high class enough. they are worldwide.
example, in the chicago area, i gal milk 2.49, orange juice 'not from concentrate' 2.39 1/2gal. dole bananas .44lb, many many other savings on equal quality products.
they save money for example, when you arrive, you bring your own bags, you pay a quarter for your cart but get it back when you return it back from the parking lot, you bag your own groceries, no credit cards but debit are accepted. and shorter hours. cashiers also stock shelves. the stores are very european with no flash. but the prices are the best.
traders joe's is in the chicago area as well and are well received. very trendy!!!
check out www.aldi.com
Yurko writes:
Trader Joe's and ALDI are owned by the same German family/conglomerate. However, their US operations are totally separate. As ALDI already has stores in north and central Florida, it's only a matter of time before they're down here in Naples. I was more surprised to hear that Naples will be Trader Joe's first Florida location. I would have thought that -- from a warehouse/distribution standpoint -- they would open multiple Florida locations at about the same time. Nonetheless, it'll be great to have Trader Joe's.
BucFan writes:
Hopefully they will put a light there and time it correctly as they did where the entrance of Mercato meets 41. If they don't I will be avoiding that inersection at all costs.
anotherPOV writes:
ALL RIGHT !!!!!! A Subway, I've always wanted to try one of their sandwiches.
Max_Headroom writes:
Funny things? How about the ones who say that obama is doing a good job?
jt1120 writes:
Matter of time? What is your definition of "matter of time?" I've been here for 12 years, waiting and waiting for Aldi's to grow a brain and open a few locations in SWFL but it isn't happening yet. I'm so sick of paying Publix prices on stuff. Thank goodness for Sweet Bay.
PeopleSpeak writes:
If the location in and of itself was so desirable (which it is) they should have torn down the mostly vacant building and built a new one that covered original footprint and the surface lot along 41 and had two levels of parking on top.
Not only would this increase taxable commercial space in a very viable location but it would have created more construction jobs.
naples759 writes:
haven't you heard? allowing aldi's to come to swfl would only help the struggling middle class and we all know the governing parties in this area only want you to buy from publix, devoe, and germain! god forbid there is any healthy competition to rile up the rich man's profits.
roadhouse writes:
I was going to write the same thing about the parking. This particular location has a horrible parking configuration.
dwyerj1 writes:
Has Trader Joe's agreed to pay an extra penny per pound for tomatoes like Whole Foods?
Helping the pickers in Immokalee is worth supporting by shopping where the management has morals.
DawnPharmer writes:
The HUGE parking lot just to the north of this store…the part that is adjacent to the former coffee shop area of Borders isn’t big enough for you? Are you kidding? Someone might actually have to walk a few steps to get to the store! Horrors…
Expo used to be there, PF Chaings and assorted other businesses have drawn lots of customers in the past AND someone can actually drive a small amount out of the way and use the access road to go back toward Arthrex and Goodlette Frank to avoid turning south on 41…or just go north for a short bit and make a u-turn at Immokalee and 41. Does everything have to be uber convenient? Can’t people think anymore?
nopartofit writes:
there used to be a "discount" grocery in east naples - towncenter (?) by the movie theater....wasn't that an Aldi's? It was a dump.
09Taco writes:
Most locals will probably do the same thing. I wouldn't even try to make a left on to 41 from there, the 4-way stop between borders and the rest of the plaza is bad enough when you throw in the drivers that don't understand the concept of right-of-way. Anyone east of 41 that knows where they're going will probably avoid going in that direction making it less of a nuisance than most of the commenters make it out to be.
naples759 writes:
sorry to disappoint you, that was not an aldi's.
the store there was a dump.
anyone who has seen/been to one would tell you it is a very clean, plain but eye appealing store.
the pay starts at 12.65 hr for part time stocker/cashiers, and asst store managers are in the $20.00 hr range. it is not easy to get a job there. you have to hustle.
again, www.aldi.com
BillBull writes:
More crap we don't need...ufff
srsone writes:
that was/is a Savalot iirc
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