Union Planters Plaza Welcomes Seven New Retailers

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Union Planters Plaza is heading into fall with a fresh lineup of stores that cater to foodies, fitness enthusiasts and style mavens. These openings follow the center's complete redevelopment by leading retail developer EDENS, including the addition of a community green space.

The new stores tie into the center's focus on healthy lifestyles, featuring a weekly Farmers' Market from 4-9 p.m. on Tuesdays.

"Union Planters Plaza has become a true gathering place for our community and this is an exciting time for the center," said Jami Passer, chief investment officer for EDENS. "Our retail partners are bringing entirely new concepts to the Fort Lauderdale market and will be the perfect complement to our already popular brands like Whole Foods Market and Dick's Sporting Goods."

Many of the new stores are firsts for the Fort Lauderdale market.

The newly opened stores include:

Buenos Aires Café
Boasting fresh ingredients and a natural atmosphere, Buenos Aires Cafe offers a fusion between the famous Argentinian grill and classic American favorites. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, you'll find several meat entrees on the menu including picanha steak to empanadas to wraps.

Chill-N Ice Cream
A high-tech ice cream parlor, Chill-N uses nitrogen to flash-freeze made-to-order ice cream, with a menu is displayed like the periodic table. Since opening in October 2012, Chill-N now has three locations in Florida.

Stash Boutique
Voted #1 local boutique, Stash is a designer consignment and retail shop that features clothing for women and men. Owner, Jacki Rosen, is a former curator and museum director turned personal stylist to some of the best dressed in the area. Her boutique offers many one-of-a-kind handbags and accessories.

JugoFresh inside Whole Foods Market
Known for its cold-pressed juices, this regional retailer is bringing them to Fort Lauderdale for the first time. Using 100% organic, locally produced ingredients, JugoFresh also creates super food smoothies, enhancement shots and raw/vegan eats.

Union Planters Plaza will welcome other new retailers in the coming months, including Rinaldi Shoes, an Italian shoe boutique, Fitlife Foods, a retailer providing healthy, high-quality chef-prepared meals for fitness-minded consumers on-the-go, and Spring Chicken, a new fast-casual fried chicken concept by Miami-based restaurant group 50 Eggs Inc. Rinaldi Shoes is slated to open later this year, Fitlife Foods has an early 2016 opening date and Spring Chicken is set to open in early 2016 following restaurant openings in Coral Gables and Miami International Airport.

Recently opened retailers at Union Planters Plaza include:

Q Bar Burgers & Blues
Chef Laurent Tasic, owner of Sage French Cafe next door, brings us a taste of the French Quarter with Q Bar Burgers & Blues, complete with nightly live music. On the menu, diners can choose from burgers and specialty dishes like seafood gumbo and jambalaya.

Piola
Renowned for handmade pizzas and exceptional ingredients like Brazilian meats and cheeses, international pizza franchise Piola opened its first location in Fort Lauderdale at the end of last year. Owned and operated by a local couple, Piola also serves a variety of salads and pastas, and hosts an unlimited gnocchi night every month.

OrangeTheory Fitness
Backed by the science of post-exercise oxygen consumption, the OrangeTheory Fitness program is designed to keep heart rates in a target zone that stimulates metabolism and increases energy. The result is the Orange Effect – more energy, visible toning and extra calorie burn for up to 36 hours after every workout.

Core Contour
Core Contour is a fitness studio based on the Lagree Fitness method, Hollywood's elite workout brought to Fort Lauderdale for the first time by yogi and fitness guru Jen Capps.

About Union Planters Plaza
Union Planters Plaza is ideally located between downtown and residential Fort Lauderdale. EDENS has evolved the center into a true local favorite, where friends, neighbors and families can gather and relax. A thriving Whole Foods Market and Dick's Sporting Goods anchor the 155,000 square foot center. EDENS has redeveloped and expanded the center with a fresh, community-oriented merchandising mix of new retailers including Etiquette Boutique, Pure Barre, The Barkan Method and Sage, and enhanced the neighborhood feel by adding intimate plaza spaces.

About EDENS:
EDENS develops, owns and operates community shopping centers in primary markets across the country. Focusing on innovative development and redevelopment together with key acquisitions in urban areas, the company has built an institutional-quality portfolio of 136 retail centers. EDENS has regional headquarters in Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Houston and Columbia, SC. For additional information about the company and its retail real estate portfolio, please visit www.edens.com. 

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131220/NY36979LOGO

SOURCE EDENS