In North Central Florida, Hitchcock’s Market was a mainstay grocery chain that had operated in the region for 80 years, but in October 2025, the owners suddenly announced the closure of all its stores, found in 10 different Florida communities. The news shocked both shoppers in the rural communities it served and even Hitchcock’s Market employees. But at least three of the stores — in Williston, Keystone Heights, and Alachua, where the chain began — are being purchased by the classic Winn-Dixie grocery store chain. No public statement has confirmed whether a different chain will be taking over the seven other locations.
Hitchcock’s Market may not be the oldest grocery store chain in the country (that honor goes to Kroger’s, which opened in 1883), but it has served the region since 1945, when Robert Hitchcock Sr. and his son, Bob, a World War II veteran, opened the first store. The chain grew by mostly serving rural areas where larger chains weren’t interested in operating. The current owners, the Alvarez family, didn’t give a reason for selling the stores.
Winn-Dixie is taking over
At its height, the Hitchcock’s Market chain had 12 locations and around $150 million in annual revenue before Bob Hitchcock’s son, Alan, sold the company to Haug Enterprises, based in Minnesota. Haug, in turn, sold it to the current owners in 2019. When the Hitchcock’s Market stores were under the ownership of the Hitchcock family, they were known for their community involvement and their outstanding meat departments. Winn-Dixie, known for its high-quality meat department and Southern hospitality, is now taking the helm.
While Hitchcock’s Market has been around for 80 years, Winn-Dixie is actually older, having started in Miami, Florida, in 1925. With the announced closures, Hitchcock’s Market could have become just another defunct grocery store like New York’s Waldbaum’s, but it appears that it will survive in some respects. Through all the changes in ownership over the years, Hitchcock’s retained its name. However, Hitchcock’s Market stores purchased by Winn-Dixie will forego their original title and become Winn-Dixie stores instead…