It’s the countdown to closing at the first grocery store to open in The Villages.
All merchandise has been marked down to clearance and store shelves will soon be emptying out at the Winn-Dixie at La Plaza Grande. The store will be converted to an ALDI grocery store as part of the buyout of Winn-Dixie.
In July, the new ALDI opened its doors at Lake Sumter Landing, after the closure and conversion of that Winn-Dixie store.
The Winn-Dixie at La Plaza Grande holds a special place in the history of The Villages. It was the first supermarket to open in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. Many of the original residents of the Orange Blossom Gardens area remember the days when they had to drive to Leesburg to purchase groceries.
Publix arrived in La Plaza Grande after Winn-Dixie. According to lore, Publix brass wanted to see the golf cart bridge built over U.S. Hwy. 27/441 before opening a grocery store. Publix wanted to ensure it had a sufficient customer base to support its first-ever store in The Villages…