Dive Brief:

• Presidente Supermarkets plans to open seven stores and debut a new wholesale format in Florida by the end of this year, according to a company press release. 
• The Miami-based, Hispanic-owned grocery chain has opened one of those locations so far in Orlando and another in Miami Gardens, Florida. The grocer aims to open the next one in early August in Orlando, and will debut its new wholesale concept, Omax Plaza Wholesale, just outside the city.
• As grocery competition heats up in the Sunshine State, Presidente Supermarkets is looking to strengthen its presence in Central Florida.

Dive Insight:

Presidente Supermarkets said the seven new stores and wholesale format will boost economic development with a total of more than 500 jobs and millions of dollars of economic investment, mostly in low-income neighborhoods. The grocer currently employs close to 2,600 Floridians, and each new store will create at least 60 jobs, according to the press release. 

This year's store openings include three in Orlando, two in West Palm Beach and one each in Pompano and Miami Gardens.

The new warehouse concept in Kissimmee is slated to occupy a 100,000-square-foot building on 24 acres, per the press release. It will sell bulk items catering to low-income customers and will be located at the site of a former Kmart the grocer bought in December for $5.8 million, the Orlando Business Journal reported earlier this year. 

Presidente Supermarkets, which was started 30 years ago by the Cuban American family that runs it today, has the bulk of its more than 30-store fleet in Southeast Florida and now operates four locations in the Orlando area. 

"A combination of our great prices and value, with our excellent customer service, has helped us create a loyal client base in South Florida, and we are confident we will be able to do the same in Central Florida,” Omar Rodriguez, president of Presidente Supermarkets, said in a statement.  

In recent years, Florida has seen grocers, both new and existing ones in the state, ramp up their presence. Sprouts Farmers Market and Aldi are both expanding in Florida, with Sprouts opening some of its new stores in the Orlando and West Palm Beach areas. H Mart, which does not currently have any stores in Florida, per its website, has one set for Orlando. The city has also reportedly piqued the interest of Amazon Fresh.

Meanwhile, Publix has looked to keep its dominance of the Florida grocery market by opening new supermarkets as well as new formats like its scaled-down Greenwise locations.