Initial work on a new retail development along U.S. 30 is under way that will include two restaurants that will be new to Kosciusko County.
JDF Development announced Tuesday plans to construct a retail development in front of Meijer’s grocery store that will include four businesses.
The company has already lined up commitments from McAllister’s Deli, as well as Moe’s Southwest Grill, a Verizon Wireless store and a Starbucks coffee shop that will include a drive-thru, according to a press release from JDF.
McAllister’s will be a free standing restaurant while the other three will be constructed as part of one building. The development is being financed by Lake City Bank and it will be known as Lake City Plaza.
Groundbreaking was Monday and by Tuesday, large earth moving machines were preparing the 2.5-acre tract of land just west of the Panda Express.
The businesses are expected to open by spring of 2018, the news release said.
The Warsaw project will be the sixth retail development for the company, according to Tim Jordan, a co-owner of JDF.
He said they prefer to focus on smaller markets such as Angola and Logansport.
JDF serves as a franchisee for two other Moe’s Southwest Grill restaurants.
Attracting McAllister’s was not a hard sell, according to the developer.
Numerous factors help make the development an attractive option for tenants, Jordan said.
Being located along U.S. 30 and across the street from Zimmer Biomet’s manufacturing facility was a selling point, but there were other “drivers” in their decisions, said Jordan said.
“Household incomes in Warsaw are kind of an anomaly. There’s a lot of money in Warsaw,” Jordan said. “That was another big factor.”
Tenants were also attracted to the idea of being close to a Starbucks and Meijers, he said.
McAllister’s in Warsaw will be the sixth such store for the company in northern Indiana. The company has two stores each in Fort Wayne and the South Bend-Mishawaka market.
Moe’s Southwest Grill has stores in Angola and two in Fort Wayne.
Starbucks has two other locations in Warsaw inside grocery stores.
Combined, the retail development will span 12,408 square feet, the news release said.
The announcment represents more good news for the city’s retail offerings.
Executive Director for Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce Rob Parker was enthused about the news.
“That give us some really great options here in our community,” Parker said. “I think it’s pretty awesome.”
