Go Grocer was made for enclaves like Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village.
That’s because the Chicago-based market’s “steps from home” model and its grab-and-go items make it a natural fit in an area where “many residents live within a short walk of the store,” according to franchise owner Gerardo Santiago.
“Flagler Village is one of the most walkable and fastest-growing neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale, with a dense mix of apartments, condos, offices and retail,” Santiago said.
The first Go Grocer in the state opened Friday, March 27, within the Motif mixed-use apartment building at 500 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale. The 2,538-square-foot space offers sandwiches and salads, prepared meals, organic foods, produce, desserts, canned goods, locally-sourced products and craft beverages, as well as spirits, wine and beer. Go Grocer is also known for its delivery app, which is expected to debut locally in the coming months.
Santiago, now living in South Florida for nearly seven years, originally came from Chicago, where he met Go Grocer’s founders: brothers Paul and Gregory Stellatos.
The Stellatos opened their first mini-market in the Windy City back in 2008, with the idea of providing a premium food retail experience for people who live in tightly-packed urban areas.
Prepared snacks on display the new Go Grocer market in Fort Lauderdale. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
“We started it when we noticed an void in our community,” Gregory Stellatos recalled. “At the time, there were only two options: A big-box retailer if you wanted healthy food or a small convenience store if you wanted something quick but typically unhealthy and unappealing.
“So we said, why not mix the best of both worlds? Our elevator pitch is: ‘If Whole Foods and 7-Eleven had a baby, it’d be a Go Grocer’ — healthy options in a convenient, fast checkout experience.”
That concept has now grown to 14 locations in Chicago and two in Milwaukee.
The front of Go Grocer in Fort Lauderdale, as seen on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
“The Flagler Village location [is] the first Go Grocer store outside of the Midwest,” Santiago tells the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Back in Chicago, they are watching this new location very closely. There are tentative plans to keep expanding in the South Florida market, according to the Stellatos brothers.
“We feel like the area has the potential to support multiple Go Grocers, and our goal is to open several within the next year or two,” Gregory Stellatos said. “We feel that SoFlo shares the characteristics that make our other stores so successful: Health-focus customer base; value mom-and-pop businesses; have an affinity for local products.”
A variety of drinks are available at Go Grocer, which is situated within the Motif mixed-use apartment building in Fort Lauderdale. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Santiago, whose career has been in the food and beverage business as a nutraceutical ingredients industry executive and a former restaurateur, breaks it down even further.
“Fort Lauderdale has no shortage of traditional grocers and convenience stores, but there’s a clear gap between the two,” he said. “Traditional grocers are large, car-dependent and time-consuming. Convenience stores prioritize speed but often lack quality, fresh options and a curated experience. Go Grocer fills that gap by offering high-quality, fresh and thoughtfully curated products in a smaller, neighborhood-centric format.”
For more information, go to gogrocerchicago.com.
Sales associate Aaliyahna McDonald stocks shelves at the new Go Grocer in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)