There won’t be a Lucky’s Market coming to Bradenton, after all
Demolition of an old Albertson’s supermarket building at 75th Street West and Manatee Avenue had only recently been completed to make way for a long-awaited Lucky’s Market in Bradenton.
But with the news Tuesday that Lucky’s is shuttering all of its Florida stores except the one in Melbourne, prospects dimmed that the Bradenton Lucky’s would ever be built.
Lucky’s Market confirmed on Wednesday it would not be building a new store in Bradenton.
“We are sad to say the rumors are true. We’re closing many of our stores and couldn’t be more upset to be leaving so many communities who have supported us for years,” the company posted on Instagram.
“Unfortunately, we will not be opening any new stores which were previously announced.”
In July of 2019, Lucky’s Market submitted an application for a site improvement permit to the city proposing a 28,900-square-foot store in the footprint of the old Albertson’s building.
“We may not be able to start construction on this store until the end of the year,” Krista Torvik, a Lucky’s Market spokeswoman, said in July.
Lucky’s Market, a specialty grocery store chain which touts natural, organic and locally grown products, announced it was coming to West Bradenton in June 2018.
“We were excited about them coming to Bradenton, but these things happen,” Mayor Wayne Poston said.
When news broke in December that Kroger intended to divest its stake in Lucky’s Market, Poston said he wondered whether the Bradenton deal was still viable.
Lucky’s Market was started in 2003 with the vision of creating a grocery store where quality products sold at affordable prices with genuine personal service. Lucky’s has 35 stores in 11 states, according to the company web site.
This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 1:56 PM.
