FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The intersection of Daniels Parkway and Six Mile Cypress Parkway is one of the busier ones in Fort Myers. It's going to get a lot busier come fall with the opening of the Daniels Marketplace shopping center.
The highlight of the new development is the Whole Foods Market, which has neighbors in the nearby Brookshire Lakes community excited for the grand opening.
"We're pretty excited. Not too many stores that I personally like, but I haven't seen them all yet", said Gerry French.
French is originally from Boston and has lived in Fort Myers for some time. He hasn't personally been inside a Whole Foods, but is excited at what having a new market so close to his home will mean for the occasional, convenient grocery trip. While French is also looking forward to some of the other shops joining the Whole Foods.
One of those shops will be UhmazeBowls, a locally owned businesses specializing in delicious Açaí berry fruit bowls. The owner, Eden McIntyre, is excited for the opportunity to have her business on the Daniels Marketplace.
“It’s gonna be a huge spot for people who are health-conscious who are health conscious or moving toward being health conscious", McIntyre told Four In Your Corner.
McIntyre began selling her bowls at farmer's markets. After trying unsuccessfully to find a permanent space for her business, a space opened up in the Daniels Marketplace near the Whole Foods. She thinks it's a perfect fit.
“If somebody goes to Whole Foods, then they’s absolutely going to want my product as well because it goes with the whole healthy lifestyle."
According to the developer's website, the shopping center will include the following stores:
- Whole Foods
- Mellow Mushroom
- Panera Bread
- Zoes Kitchen
- Keke’s Breakfast Cafe
- Banfield Pet Hospital
- Pet People
- Aveda
- Venetian Nail Spa
- UhmazeBowls
The shopping center, and McIntyre's shop, are projected to open in fall of 2018.
