Presidente Supermarkets expands in Southern, Central Florida

Presidente Supermarkets is continuing to expand rapidly in Florida, including a site in a massive, high-profile development in Miami that was announced last week.

The company, which currently operates about 45 supermarkets in Southern and Central Florida, is hoping to open three additional locations this year, including one in Pompano Beach, Fla., that is set to open in about three weeks, Ariel Martinez, a spokesman for the Miami-based retailer, told Supermarket News.

“It’s a great opportunity for us,” he said of Presidente Supermarkets’ expansion plans, which include both conversions of second-generation sites and ground-up construction.

Last year the retailer opened stores in Lake Worth Beach, Miramar, and Orlando, according to local reports. The retailer offers a blend of mainstream grocery products along with specialty products from Caribbean and Latin American countries.

In the new Miami development, Presidente, which describes itself as one of the largest Hispanic-owned supermarket operators in the country, will anchor the first residential tower of a planned, mixed-use development in Miami at the site of what is currently the Southland Mall. Urban Retail Properties said it has signed a 15-year lease with Presidente for the site, part of a multi-year, multi-phased effort to transform the mall into the Southplace City Center, which will include 4,500 residential units, plus new retail stores, restaurants, and other amenities.

The 24,000-square-foot Presidente store could open by next summer, Martinez said.

“Retailers are looking for ‘live-work-shop-play’ communities, and that is exactly what Southplace City Center will become," said Paul Motta, chief operating officer of Urban Retail Properties. “Adding Presidente as a key anchor tenant aligns with the vision for this project and strategically complements the existing retail.”

He described the development as a “city within a city.”

"We are excited to be part of this partnership and of the evolution of Southplace City Center," said Omar Rodriguez, owner and founder, Presidente Supermarkets, in a statement. "Presidente Supermarkets is ready to continue investing in our community, through job creation and economic development in our neighborhoods."

Presidente Supermarkets, founded in 1990, was represented by Neyda Bravo and Luis Gonzalez of Bravo & Partners Realty, which is spearheading the retailer’s expansion efforts in Florida, Gonzalez said.