Gordon Food Service buys Buca Dale Mabry site

BUYER: Florida Retail Stores LLC (principals: David Gray, Daniel Gordon and John Gordon Jr.), Grand Rapids, Mich.
SELLER: S&F LLC
PROPERTY: 11511 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa
PRICE: $2.25 million
PREVIOUS PRICE: $1.85 million, June 2007
LAW FIRM ON DEED: Michael J. Palermo Esq., Tampa
PLANS, DESCRIPTION: Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Gordon Food Service., the largest privately held foodservice distributor in North America, purchased the 8,250-square-foot former Buca di Beppo restaurant on a 1.81-acre site Dale Mabry Highway north of Hudson Lane from DeBartolo Development for $2.25 million. The purchase price equated to an average of $1.24 million per acre.

The Michigan company purchased the property to demolish the existing building and develop a 15,000-square-foot GFS Marketplace grocery store. Considered a cross between a warehouse retailer like Sam's Club and more traditional upscale grocery chains, such as Publix, GFS Marketplace targets both larger foodservice buyers and the general public.

Gordon Food Service already operates GFS Marketplace stores on Fourth Street North in St. Petersburg, Gulf to Bay Boulevard in Clearwater, East Brandon Boulevard in Brandon and Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.