The new shopping center at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway is enjoying more sales and more enterprise.
By JAMES THORNER
Published August 15, 2003
LAND O'LAKES - A Chili's Tex-Mex restaurant and a Sonic drive-in burger joint plan to add sizzle to Land O'Lakes' hottest commercial corner.
Collier Commons shopping center began strutting its stuff last month with the opening of a Publix supermarket at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway.
Last week, Walgreens drugstore joined Publix, and a Blockbuster video store aims to open by this weekend.
George Trujillo, who leases the shopping center for owner Primerica Group One, said his company is thrilled with the crowds drawn to Collier Commons.
Publix's sales exceed those at the older, smaller store catercorner on SR 54 that closed simultaneously with the opening of the new store.
"With all the new road improvements that have come on board and those that are planned, that's where it's happening now," Trujillo said of the SR 54/Collier Parkway intersection.
Both Chili's and Sonic plan to occupy outparcels on SR 54. A third restaurant could also be in the works, but Trujillo said a tenant is not confirmed.
Chili's markets itself as a bar and grill specializing in Southwestern cuisine. The menu includes fajitas, steaks, burgers, ribs and specialty drinks such as margaritas.
The chain has restaurants in every state but Montana, including 26 in the greater Tampa Bay area. Locally, one of the last Chili's opened in Zephyrhills.
Sonic, founded in Oklahoma in 1953, is one of the few remaining drive-in fast food operations with personal carhop service.
The chain's 2,600 locations feature made-to-order fast food such as hamburgers and sandwiches served on Texas toast, hot dogs with chili and cheese, onion rings, potato puffs and milk shakes.
The restaurants are officially part of Collier Commons' "phase II," which Primerica hopes to anchor with a big-box store that could be twice as big as Publix's 61,000 square feet.
"We've got a few folks that we're talking with," Trujillo said.
In all, developers proposed an extra 235,000 square feet of commercial space. Most of it would front four-lane SR 54.
Collier Parkway, widened to four lanes not long before shopping center construction began, will also get its share. A bank, day care, and self-storage business are planned there.
- James Thorner covers growth and development in Pasco County. He can be reached at 813 909-4613 or toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 4613. His e-mail is thorner@sptimes.com
