BRADENTON -- It didn’t take long for Jessie Esposito to tap a name for her new convenience store.
After all, it is what just about every customer says when they walk through the doors: “It’s About Time.”
Esposito has opened a small grocery store at Twin Dolphin Marina in downtown Bradenton, satisfying a growing demand from area residents and workers who previously had to drive several miles for a loaf of bread or gallon of milk.
So far, the store has been off to a good start.
“We see a steady flow of customers up until close, and every day, it gets busier and busier,” Esposito said while admiring the new sign that went up Friday. “In the end, this is exactly what I was hoping it would be.”
Esposito moved to Bradenton following her retirement as a detective with the New York-New Jersey Port Authority in 2008. She has lived on a houseboat at the marina for the past year.
A first responder to the 9/11 terrorist attacks of the World Trade Center Towers, Esposito hasn’t been the same since.
The mini mart gives her new reason to smile.
“I never thought I would love it this much,” she said. “When people come into my store and tell me how nice it is, I just can’t believe it.”
Esposito first thought about opening the store during a recent festival downtown. With her car blocked in for two days, she had to grab a ride from a friend to buy groceries.
Three months later, the store is up and running, with Esposito’s best friend, Kathleen Zbesko, serving as the only other employee.
It’s About Time stocks more than 100 items, ranging from women’s leggings to cereal and gourmet butter.
The 240-square-foot market even features a hydroponic indoor garden, where Esposito is growing fresh herbs to sell.
The prices are comparable to Walmart and Publix.
“It’s a real nice addition -- not only for the residents but for the visitors,” marina Harbormaster Mike Shanley said.
“Not many marinas in Southwest Florida can offer a store, and a lot of boaters have been asking about one. This gives us another edge.”
Residents living near downtown have long been lobbying for someone to open a grocery store.
Some 29,000 people live in the zip code, but the closest general food store was previously about three miles away. Most of the early foot traffic at It’s About Time has come from downtown workers, condo residents and boaters. The store also plans to deliver to seniors living in nearby assisted living facilities.
It’s About Time is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the week.
“It’s pretty handy,” said customer Brad Gradidge, a Canadian resident who also lives on a houseboat at the marina for part of the year. “There’s nothing else around here. We don’t have to jump in our car every time we want a snack anymore, so this is great for us.”
Josh Salman, Herald business writer, can be reached at 941-745-7095.
