Shops begin opening at Windermere Village, more coming soon

Three businesses have opened their doors in the newest Horizon West-area shopping center, Windermere Village, but there are many more on the way.

The $20 million, 10-acre project — located next to Windermere High School, on the northeast corner of County Road 535 and Ficquette Road — consists of three one-story buildings comprising about 50,000 square feet. This includes outdoor seating and a central park area with a covered pavilion.

The plaza will be anchored by Fresh Market, which signed on in early 2017. The 21,000-square-foot building’s shell is up, and it is moving forward as planned. Nicole Chabot, public relations coordinator for The Fresh Market, said that the grocer’s opening is currently slated for early 2020.

“We’ve got nothing but great reviews on our architecture,” said Marc Skorman, developer for Windermere Village. “We went above and beyond and tried to make it very compatible with the neighborhood. We created that park in the center that can be used for certain types of events or a kids’ playground while they buy ice cream and hang out. We tried to make a shopping center that’s really neighborhood friendly. … We wanted a center that would function as a neighborhood fun center, not just putting in the typical fast food and drugstores.”

So far, Bruster’s Ice Cream, Paramount Urgent Care and Windermere Village Dental Care are up and running. But, there is still more to come.

“In one building, we have Agave Azul, Bruster’s Ice Cream, Venetian Nail Spa, Juan Valdez Café and Clean Juice,” Skorman said. “We’re signing a lease with a pizza and wings place, and then a French breakfast and lunch café. In the other building, we have BurgerFi, Windermere Village Dental and HUMBL, which is going to be great. (We also have) Paramount Urgent Care, and then we have a specialty (cosmetic treatment) doctor.

“We hand-picked every tenant,” Skorman said. “We knew with the population and the school the type of use. We tried to have healthy options for people to eat and also have a place where they don’t have to go all the way to Sand Lake Road to have dinner or some of the things they want. It’s really been an outstanding property.”

Through social media, Agave Azul representatives said construction/buildout is beginning soon, but there is not yet a set opening date.

Clean Juice, a smoothie and juice shop, is close to opening. Representatives said the juice bar will be opening this month, although no set date has been announced. Venetian Nail Spa is set to open this summer.

Most recently, celebrity vegan chef Matthew Kenney announced his new restaurant, HUMBL. This will be HUMBL’s first location, although the fast-casual, plant-based restaurant also will open a location in the food hall in Orlando’s Yard at Ivanhoe early next year. HUMBL’s menu features 100% fresh, all-natural ingredients. The plant-based chef behind the concept owns more than 25 restaurants worldwide, and he joins HUMBL co-founders and managing principals Paul Mascia and Eric Koeser as the culinary partner.

HUMBL’s menu includes pizza, salads, burgers, bowls, fries, milkshakes, soft-serve ice cream, grab-and-go lunch options and breakfast — which is served all day.

What’s more, for every meal purchased, HUMBL will donate a meal to a child in need through partnerships with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and Kids Around the World. Additionally, HUMBL will utilize sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging and practices. It is set to open in June.

Many of the tenants are keeping customers up to date on timelines and projected openings via social media, but Skorman also suggests driving by the plaza to check out their progress.

“Just drive by,” he said. “The ice cream place is open, and there’s a line every day. I’ve never seen such activity. After these events at the school, there’s a line of people waiting to have ice cream, and that’s only one place open. Between now and June, (most) everything is going to be opening.”