There will be two less grocery stores for some Pasco County residents as the new owner of Sweetbay says its closing locations in Zephyrhills and Dade City.
The stores, located at 36538 State Road 54 in Zephyrhills and 12530 U.S. 301 in Dade City, will close April 5, according to Bi-Lo Holdings LLC. They are two of more than a dozen stores in the southeast the Jacksonville company must close because of their proximity to other stores owned by the company. The order to shutter the stores came from the Federal Trade Commission, and it’s unclear how many employees will be affected.
“We appreciate the many contributions our associates in these stores have made, and we will ensure they are treated respectfully and have the opportunity to pursue other open positions in nearby stores,” Randall Onstead, president and chief executive of Bi-Lo Holdings, said in a release.
Bi-Lo bought Sweetbay from Delhaize Group last May for $265 million. The company announced in October it would rebrand Sweetbay to Winn-Dixie, the larger grocery store chain it bought in 2011.
Sweetbay started as a fruits and vegetable stand on the streets of Tampa in 1914 before growing into the Kash n’ Karry chain in the 1960s. Delhaize changed the name to Sweetbay in 2004.
Other local Sweetbays include 27301 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, 6425 County Line Road in Tampa, 17649 Gunn Highway in Odessa, and on 15692 North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.
