There’s a brand new Farmer’s Market coming to town. Local vendors will soon be filling 115 spots inside the old Winn Dixie location on 15th Street East in Oneco.
It’s an old location with new spirit for entrepreneurs and it’s not just any farmers market. Customers can expect the fresh produce and eggs, but beyond that, need a new phone? They got it. Looking for handmade jewelry? It’ll be there. Hungry for some soul food? Look no further. There will even be clothes, too.
It’s a treasure trove in the making.
“You might come in for a phone charger and spend a couple of hours and find something new every time you turn the corner,” said Brian Delutz, property manager of the Oneco Shopping Center. “And I think that’s going to be the exciting part. I think that’s what really adds value.”
Sure, there is plenty to eat – baked goods, fresh produce, local seafood and even 10 restaurants. But once your belly is full, prepare to shop!
“Handmade jewelry, some people sell gold and clothes,” Delutz said.
There’s a play area for the kids, too, but the adult fun starts with more than 100 local vendors. It’s an idea the owners took a trip around the world to find.
“The owners of the plaza travel globally and get different ideas from farmers markets around the globe, so that’s really been a great asset here for us,” explained Delutz.
“We are here in the farmers market in Israel!” the owner of the farmers market exclaimed from a cell phone video.
They’ve provided a place where foreign countries meet the American dream.
“Whether you’re a well established restaurant, or you’re just starting up,” Delutz said, “It’ll be nice to see them flourish here.”
The owners bought the entire plaza almost two years ago and immediately started to fill 21 vacant store fronts that desperately needing some tender love and care.
“It’ll mean a lot you know,” said Francisco Ibarra, Headquarters Barbershop business partner. “And not only will people be able to gather around and be more of a community, but it’ll also give a lot of local, small businesses a chance to do something.”
It’s been a slow past few months for Headquarters Barbershop in the plaza, but their new neighbors are giving them new hope for the future.
“I have a buddy who actually is trying to start his own clothing line and wants to come sell,” Ibarra said. “It gives us hope to prosper. To be a lot more successful than the year before.”
Each vendor will only pay about $7 in rent per day, which is just over $200 a month.
The farmers market is already full. The property owner said all 115 one-year leases have been signed.
The grand opening is at 5108 15th Street East, Bradenton on August 18.