Three national restaurant chains will soon open in this Manatee shopping center
When developers announced The Green at Lakewood Ranch, they promised more than two dozen business. But three months after Earth Fare opened, the shopping center has remained relatively quiet about what will help flush out the 525,000-square-foot space.
There are plans for a 34,000-square-foot L.A. Fitness to serve as one of the plaza's heavyweights after it opens sometime this summer, but what about the little guys? Permits filed to Manatee County's building and development services shed light on what Lakewood Ranch residents can expect in the near future.
So far, about a handful of smaller shops have filed permits declaring spaces in the shopping center; among them are Chipotle Mexican Grill, Starbucks and Panera Bread.
Panera Bread is one of the few planned spaces to have its new location at The Green publicly announced in a press release.
“We’re excited to announce Panera Bread as the first restaurant tenant for The Green,” said Skipper Peek, senior vice president of commercial development for Tavistock Development Co. “In the next 60 days, we look forward to announcing a mix of additional dining and entertainment options from fast-casual to sit-down restaurants that will give residents a destination for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night offerings.”
The 4,300-square-foot restaurant will feature patio dining, a drive-thru window and a large, hand-painted mural featuring the brand's logo on the side of the building. According to the release, the standalone building will be located at the northeast corner of State Road 70 and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.
A Tavistock spokesperson said Panera Bread hopes to open the new location by October. There's no word on when the other shops will open.
But Peek's comments indicate that a flood of official announcements could come soon. Lakewood Ranch residents should expect those to include a new Modern Gents location, a Lavish Nails spa and Main Street Dentistry, according to permit filings. There are also plans for a Mattresses & More furniture shop.
Office spaces and more than 300 "luxury residences" are slated for the center, as well. Further information on those additions was not immediately available.
This story was originally published May 3, 2018 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Three national restaurant chains will soon open in this Manatee shopping center."