Publix opens in Benderson's new mixed-use project in Sarasota
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Apr 19, 2024

Publix Super Markets Inc. has opened a store in Sarasota's Fruitville Farms, a mixed-use development by the same group that built the Mall at University Town Center.

Benderson Development, based in University Park, is the developer of the Mall at UTC and Fruitville Farms. Fruitville Farms is south of the mall and Lakewood Ranch, which consistently ranks among the top-selling master-planned developments in the U.S.

Lakeland-based Publix opened the 48,387-square-foot store on April 4 and has all the departments offered at one of its traditional stores: grocery, dairy, frozen food, seafood, meat and produce as well as a full-service bakery, deli and pharmacy. Publix now has more than 1,370 stores across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky.

“We are excited to add another Publix location for our friends in Sarasota,” Hannah Herring, Publix spokesperson, said in a statement. “We look forward to welcoming new and existing customers and providing them with premier service and quality products.”

Publix is the first tenant to open in Fruitville Farms. The development is across the street from Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant and adjacent to the Fruitville Library. Fruitville Farms will include 150,000 square feet of restaurants and retail space, as well as 600 multifamily units. It will also be home to a 120,000-square-foot Sarasota County Administration Center.

“Fruitville Farms was developed with a focus on meeting the needs of the growing local community, as well as our long-term approach to deliver a high-quality shopping experience,” Shaun Benderson, managing director, said in a statement.