Trader Joe’s is planning a new East Orange County location at 1444 N. Alafaya Trail in the Waterford Lakes area, within the same retail district that includes Hobby Lobby and Floor & Decor.
The site is the former Party City store, which closed after the company’s bankruptcy liquidation, and local building permits have recently been filed for Trader Joe’s to occupy and renovate that space according to WKMG.
The permitting activity suggests that Trader Joe’s is in the early stages of preparing the site for redevelopment, though the company has not yet issued an official public announcement with an opening date.
Trader Joe’s is a national specialty grocery store chain known for its curated selection of high-quality, affordable products, especially its extensive lineup of private-label foods that often become cult favorites. I am particularly a fan of their Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce made with fermented Calabrian chili peppers.
Trader Joe’s already operates stores in the Orlando area, including in Winter Park and the Dr. Phillips area, recent openings in Central Florida (such as Daytona Beach and Viera), and plans for a new location in Maitland.
This may also be the largest parking lot for Trader Joe’s in Central Florida with almost 400 parking spaces. The Trader Joe’s parking lots in Winter Park and Dr Phillips are known to be chronically undersized for their popularity and often referred to jokingly as “parking lot hell in Central Florida”.
With 400 spots shared with Hobby Lobby and Floor and Decor, this may end up being a Trader Joe’s parking paradise.
