Winn Dixie opens newest supermarket at Lakewood Ranch with a salute to veterans
Winn-Dixie opens its newest Florida store at 11525 State Road 70 E. in Lakewood Ranch with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, and a salute to veterans.
In recognition of Veterans Day, the new supermarket will donate $5,000 to local veteran organization Del Webb Lakewood Ranch Association of Veterans and Military Supporters and, to honor the families of military heroes for their sacrifices, Winn-Dixie will donate $5,000 each to two Folds of Honor scholarship recipients.
The grocer will also donate $5,000 to Heroic Flags in support of Lakewood Ranch High School sophomore Lorenzo Liberti who was inspired by veterans in need to do more to support them. A five-foot American Flag carved by Lorenzo will be on display in the new Lakewood Ranch Winn-Dixie store in honor of veterans and frontline medical workers.
Additionally, all Winn-Dixie stores are offering an 11 percent discount for active duty and veteran customers who shop on Wednesday.
The new store occupies the anchor spot at The Green at Lakewood Ranch shopping center where Earth Fare was previously located. Earth Fare announced in February that it was closing all of its stores. Winn Dixie announced in May that it had acquired the Earth Fare space and planned to open a supermarket there.
Among features of the new store:
▪ A wide range of specialty food selections for various dietary preferences throughout the store, including an expanded offering of organic, natural and gluten-free options.
▪ A new farm-fresh produce department with a greater selection of signature categories, such as fresh and dried peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms and an assortment of tropical fruits and berries, as well as more than 100 organic varieties.
▪ Enhanced deli department with an assortment of specialty cheeses featuring a cheese of the month, grab-and-go meal options, including take-and-bake pizzas, fresh sushi made daily, sandwich station and new chef-prepared plant-based proteins made in store.
▪ Hand-carved meats, including pork loin, certified Angus beef roast beef, oven roasted turkey breast and roasted eye round.
▪ Fresh bakery selections with more than 15 varieties of artisan-baked breads with take-and-bake options available, and pastries and desserts.
▪ The full-service meat department features certified Angus beef and prime beef with cuts inspected for marbling, maturity, sizing, quality and tenderness, as well as 12 traditional and trendy flavors of fresh-made sausages ranging from sweet Italian to habanero mango, and natural organic chicken available in bulk.
▪ New seafood department with a variety of fresh, locally caught selections including Florida Keys lobster, stone crab and Mayport shrimp, as well as seasonal favorites such as mahi mahi, grouper and triggerfish.
▪ The health and beauty department serves as a health and wellness destination with interactive touch screen for guidance on supplements and is stocked with easy grab-and-go healthy snacks and protein-packed bars.
As a COVID-19 safety precaution, the grocer encourages customers to practice social distancing and wear necessary protective equipment while visiting the new Lakewood Ranch store.
Lakewood Ranch Winn-Dixie store is one of four new Winn-Dixie stores opening on Nov. 11. The other stores are located in Boynton Beach, Gainesville and Jacksonville.
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. is a subsidiary of Southeastern Grocers, which is one of the largest supermarket chains based in the Southeast. For more information, visit winndixie.com.
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 2:52 PM.
