Just weeks after announcing the bittersweet closure of its downtown Ocala cafe, the team behind Stella’s Modern Pantry has revealed that the beloved business will officially return at a new location.
In a joint announcement, The Boyd Group and Castro Properties shared that the long-standing restaurant is joining the tenant lineup at the Golden Hills Center along U.S. Highway 27.
Located at 20 SW Broadway Street, Stella’s Modern Pantry recently announced the closure of its downtown location after an 18-year run because its building lease had come to an end.
The upcoming relocation will preserve the modern flair, warmth, and familiar hospitality that customers grew to love at the original downtown space, according to the statement.
Co-owners Staci Atsides and Albert Barrett, alongside their familiar staff, are developing a new concept for the Golden Hills Center, which is located at 6998 N. US Hwy 27 in Ocala. Stella’s fresh salad selections, artisan bakery items, curated retail gifts, and retail wine experience will all return to the new location.
In the statement, Angie Lester with The Boyd Group noted that the Stella’s team has built a special community legacy over the past 18 years, making them a cultural fit for the center.
The cafe will join several other businesses at the shopping center including Darrell’s Diner, Horse and Hounds, Remington’s Prime, and the Juniper General Store. New retail stores are also slated to arrive at the center in the near future.
The revival of Stella’s Modern Pantry comes amidst a series of high-profile departures from the downtown Ocala business scene.
La Cuisine, a longtime French restaurant located at 48 SW 1st Avenue, abruptly shuttered its doors last week. Although the French restaurant’s owners had originally planned a proper multi-week farewell ahead of a June 26 sale, unforeseen circumstances forced them to stop service immediately, canceling numerous final reservations and cutting their 17-year run short.
In the years prior, Molly Maguire’s, Pi on Broadway, The Keep, and the Shannon Roth Collection closed down their storefronts.
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