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CAVA will open its new location in the Waterford Lakes Town Center at\u00a0703 N Alafaya Trail. The opening date has not been announced yet.<\/p>\n
Sophie Natasha Jackson<\/p>\n
UCF students will soon be able to shop at Trader Joe’s for groceries and grab CAVA for lunch, but that’s only the beginning of the expansion of a shopping center minutes from campus.<\/p>\n
The Waterford Lakes Town Center is adding five new stores to its catalog, including\u00a0CAVA, Fat Rosie’s Taco & Tequila Bar and Raising Cane’s.\u00a0New retailers will\u00a0include Miniso and a new “plan-and-order point<\/a>” Ikea.<\/p>\n Expanding to the surrounding area, but not a part of the town center, are the under-construction Trader Joe\u2019s and Vicky Bakery. With the bakery\u00a0opening by March and the grocery store projected to open late 2026 or early 2027, there\u00a0will also be a mix of retail and grocery options beyond the core shopping district.\u00a0<\/p>\n Emily Wirley is a senior manager of lifestyle marketing at KIMCO Realty, the real estate investment trust that owns Waterford Lakes Town Center. She said the town center is designed to be a convenient and welcoming place for students to grab a meal, shop for essentials or meet with friends.<\/p>\n She confirmed that management is working to enhance the property with a refreshed look and new brands that will benefit the UCF community.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUCF students are a big part of our community,\u201d Wirley said. \u201cWe\u2019re committed to continuing to evolve with your needs by bringing in relevant brands, upgraded amenities, and a mix of dining and retail options that fit student life.\u201d<\/p>\n Wirley described students as a key component of the town center\u2019s customer base, though some students said they are unaware of the newest additions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Franco Patino, freshman aerospace engineering major, said he had heard very little about the developments. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t heard anything about Waterford Lakes,\u201d Patino said. \u201cThe only developments I know are the Ikea and Trader Joe\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In early November 2025, Ikea<\/a>\u00a0opened a \u201cplan-and-order point\u201d inside the Best Buy at Waterford Lakes. Customers can meet with planners and design their living space to fit their needs. Desired products are ordered and shipped at a later date.<\/p>\n The Ikea location does not include the chain\u2019s signature Swedish meatballs and caf\u00e9. The nearest full-service store and caf\u00e9 is 16 miles from UCF.<\/p>\n Trader Joe’s and Vicky Bakery are just two of the newest businesses opening near campus, outside of the Waterford Lakes Town Center. Freshman mechanical engineering major\u00a0Danny Yassine said he was only aware of one of the new stores.<\/p>\n \u201cCan they even build a Trader Joe’s near UCF?\u201d Yassine asked when told about the plans.<\/p>\n The closest Trader Joe’s is currently a 30-minute drive from campus, but the chain’s plans on changing that.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although Trader Joe’s<\/a>\u00a0has not released an official announcement, the company filed permits to open a new store in the former Party City location on Alafaya Trail. The\u00a0documents<\/a> were initially filed in December 2025, and an opening date has not been confirmed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Vicky Bakery<\/a>, a family-owned Cuban bakery, also plans to open its newest shop in the area. It was initially set to welcome customers in December 2025, but was delayed due to permitting issues.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Amy Alvarez, digital marketing coordinator for the bakery, said the business is almost ready to invite customers into its newest location.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in the final stages and are very excited to welcome the community soon,\u201d Alvarez said.<\/p>\n There\u00a0are also several other retail stores and restaurants opening in the town center\u00a0in the coming year.<\/p>\n Fat Rosie\u2019s Taco & Tequila Bar<\/a>, a Chicago-based Mexican restaurant, is scheduled to open on March 5.\u00a0Known for their tacos, fajitas, margaritas and family-friendly atmosphere, Fat Rosie\u2019s will be housed at 749 N. Alafaya Trail. The opening will mark the chain\u2019s first Florida location.<\/p>\n Miniso will open its new location at\u00a0557 N Alafaya Trail in the Waterford Lakes Town Center.\u00a0Neighboring Dave’s Hot Chicken, the retail store’s opening date has not been announced.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sophie Natasha Jackson<\/p>\n Miniso<\/a>, a lifestyle retailer with 7,000 stores globally, is set to open a location in Waterford Lakes. The store has yet to announce its official opening date and will be found next to Dave\u2019s Hot Chicken.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the town center\u2019s newest additions is CAVA<\/a>, a Mediterranean restaurant chain with more than 350 locations nationwide, according to its website. The restaurant specializes in custom bowls, pita wraps and salads. It is set to be located at 703 N. Alafaya Trail, near Sephora. An opening date has not yet been announced.\u00a0<\/p>\n Raising Cane\u2019s<\/a> opened one of its three new Central Florida locations in Waterford Lakes in mid-January, next to Chick-fil-A. Increased traffic is expected as both restaurants operate neighboring drive-thru lanes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWaterford Lakes was designed to accommodate a high volume of guests,\u201d Wirley said. \u201cAs visitation continues to grow, we remain focused on ensuring a smooth and enjoyable guest experience from arrival to departure.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n While the town center has not officially announced all its newest locations, Wirley disclosed future additions, including PopUp Bagels, Total Wine and Mister O1.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also have several highly anticipated concepts in the pipeline that we look forward to announcing later this year,\u201d Wirley said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The shopping center\u00a0first opened in 1999<\/a>\u00a0and is now the home to 102 stores and restaurants<\/a>. Spread across 79 acres, the 701,950 square-foot property attracts over 14.7 million visitors annually.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Waterford Lakes Town Center also includes stores such as Target, TJ Maxx, Old Navy and several other popular retailers. The new openings will expand its market and let customers shop a new range of products.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe response to our recent openings has been fantastic, and we\u2019re excited to keep building on that momentum with more to come,\u201d Wirley said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wirley added that if students want to explore more details about Waterford Lakes Town Center, they can check out its official website<\/a>. Updates and announcements are also posted on its Instagram account.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n