Partly cloudy early with thunderstorms becoming likely during the afternoon. High 87F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..
Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low near 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Updated: September 19, 2023 @ 11:40 pm
Julie Marsh, of the Village of Pine Ridge, works out during the Cardio Sculpt 1 class on Thursday at Club Pilates. The business had its grand opening on Aug. 14 in Wildwood.
Julie Marsh, of the Village of Pine Ridge, works out during the Cardio Sculpt 1 class on Thursday at Club Pilates. The business had its grand opening on Aug. 14 in Wildwood.
Florida is a hot destination for new residents, and business owners are following their lead.
A new report from Yelp Economic Average shows that the number of business openings across the country so far this year already is higher than last year, and Florida is one of the leading states at 51,266 new business openings — something experts attribute to a jump in people moving to the Sunshine State.
“Last year, Florida had the highest population growth rate in the country, so if you’re a business that means the highest growth rate of customers in the country,” said Sean Snaith, director of the Institute of Economic Forecasting at the College of Business at the University of Central Florida.
“New businesses don’t go where populations are shrinking.”
Attracting Variety
From January to July of this year, Florida had 33% more business openings compared to the same time last year. The state’s 51,266 new openings inched Florida past Texas to have the most new business openings besides California.
Florida’s population increased by 1.9% to 22.2 million from 2021 to 2022, according to the United States Census Bureau.
“If you’re a business, you need customers,” Snaith said. “So that’s a big part of the equation.”
The increase in residents drawing new businesses trickles down to the local level. So far in 2023, at least 20 new business have opened in The Villages including Fleet Feet, Sprouts Farmers Market, Hobby Lobby and Foxtail Coffee Co.
The combination of stability and vitality of The Villages’ resident base and the continued growth of the community makes more business owners want to open up shop here, said Scott Renick, The Villages’ vice president of commercial development.
The Villages had 147,256 residents as of May this year, up from 144,782 at the end of last year.
“We continue to attract a broad variety of business types,” Renick said. “Recent openings have included retailers both large and small, restaurants and service industry businesses, but that has been consistent for The Villages over many years.”
Sprouts Farmers Market opened in March in Laurel Manor Plaza, and was so highly anticipated by the community its first customers started waiting in line at 5 a.m. the day of the opening.
It is the first Sprouts supermarket in The Villages and the 37th location in Florida, adding to about 380 locations across the country. The company added even more Sprouts locations in the state since then, including in Delray Beach, Bradenton, Orlando and Melbourne.
Active life businesses also increased this year — the Yelp study showed about 13% more of those businesses opened in the country from January to July compared to last year.
Fleet Feet’s opening in Colony Plaza in January added another athletic store to the lineup in The Villages.
It is a sit-and-fit specialty athletic store for runners and non-runners that uses a 3D scanning tool to show foot length, width and more to find the best shoe fit. Owners Michelle and Matt Mang wanted to open in the area to be closer to their family, and they felt the store fit in with residents’ active lifestyles.
It is the couple’s first business, and the community welcomed them right away, Michelle said. She is enjoying having a business in Florida and plans to expand in The Villages.
Michelle likes that the seasons are consistent here, as even during the winter the area is busy compared to northern states.
“You have year-round business here,” she said.
Vatsal Patel also has made a point to grow his business in Florida.
Patel is a franchise owner of Foxtail Coffee Co. and has seven locations throughout Orlando, Mount Dora, The Villages and Lady Lake. He opened the location in Lady Lake last year and his first in The Villages at Magnolia Plaza earlier this year. He will open another location soon in Laurel Manor Plaza.
A Consistent Trend
Surrounding communities also reap the benefits of population growth. Club Pilates already has seen success since opening a location last month in Wildwood, which had a population of 24,681 as of April 1, 2022, an increase of nearly 9,000 since the U.S. Census in April 2020, according to University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
“It’s been great,” said Debi Smith, manager of the new location. “We actually hit a record for our franchise. We had the largest opening of all of our franchise locations.”
Club Pilates is a franchise Pilates studio that offers classes from beginner to advanced, led by more than 10 instructors.
Visitors are excited to have a new workout concept in the area, and Smith thinks it is a fitting addition because so many Villagers enjoy staying active, she said.
“It’s a different type of exercise that’s low impact but very beneficial to your body, and it’s in a small group setting, so it can be … personal too,” Smith said.
The new Club Pilates is the first to open in The Villages area, but the company has made a name in Florida with locations in Tampa, Sarasota, Bradenton and Orlando.
The business boom is expected to continue in Wildwood, especially in the Beaumont and Trailwinds Village areas. Home Depot, Arby’s, Ashley Furniture, Burger-Fi: Beaumont, Panda Express, WaWa and Tropical Smoothie Cafe all are on the way.
Snaith does not believe the business growth will stop in Florida anytime soon, as more people are still moving in, bringing more businesses and jobs to the economy, which will then bring more people to the state for the opportunities, he said.
“It’s a virtuous circle,” Snaith said.
Senior writer Summer Jarro can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5404, or summer.jarro@thevillagesmedia.com.
Partly cloudy early with thunderstorms becoming likely during the afternoon. High 87F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low near 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Scattered thunderstorms. High around 85F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
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