A popular discount grocery chain is headed for Arcadia.

Arcadia’s first Aldi location, the former Winn-Dixie at 1737 E. Oak St., will open June 12. The store is one of hundreds slated to open across the U.S. as Aldi converts former Winn-Dixie locations to its own brand.

The first 100 customers at the 8:45 a.m. grand opening will receive a gift bag filled with Aldi products and a gift card as part of the Aldi Golden Ticket gift card giveaway program, per a press release. Shoppers can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 Aldi gift card through opening weekend.

The store will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

What is Aldi?

A German grocery chain with U.S. operations based in Illinois, Aldi is known for its low prices and limited selections. Brand-name products are a rarity on its shelves, and the grocer has no meat counter, deli, pharmacy, bakery or liquor store. The company doesn’t offer coupons either, but it runs seasonal deals and discounts on occasion.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Customers pay a quarter to use a cart — which is refunded when they return the cart — and bag their groceries with boxes from the store or containers they brought from home. The company says it puts the measures in place to keep prices low.

Where are new Aldi stores are coming to Florida?

The Arcadia location is one of 18 new Florida stores listed on the Aldi website’s grand opening page. Here are the others:

Aldi has already opened several Florida stores this year as part of its expansion initiative. Here’s where they are:

What’s happening to Florida Winn-Dixie stores?

The new stores come as Aldi’s expansion efforts have ebbed and flowed. After acquiring Southeastern Grocers Inc. — the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets — early last year, it sold the company back to a collection of private investors connected to Southeastern Grocers and a wholesale supplier that served Winn-Dixie.

Aldi originally planned an ambitious five-year, $9 billion initiative to add 800 stores nationwide through new construction and the conversion of existing stores under the Southeastern Grocers umbrella, mostly Winn-Dixie locations. The sale back to Southeastern Grocers included about 170 grocery stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, but Aldi will finish the in-progress conversions of stores it gained in the original purchase.

In total, around 220 former Winn-Dixie and Harvey stores will become Aldi stores by 2027.

C.A. Bridges contributed to this report.

Contact Herald-Tribune Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @hmb_1013.

Many of Sarasota-Manatee’s most legendary restaurants — as well as one of the region’s most dazzling new dining destinations — will be serving fabulous Easter brunch and dinner feasts on April 20.

Whether you’re craving a classic carving station brunch buffet or a premium filet mignon paired with truffle hollandaise, we’ve got you covered with great local dining spots, including a couple of scenic waterfront restaurants.

Prices and menus vary, with choices ranging from elegant prix-fixe experiences to more family-friendly buffets — and even spots hosting Easter Bunny visits for the kids.

Here are 10 standout picks for Easter dining in Sarasota and Manatee counties, presented in alphabetical order. Make your reservations ASAP!

We asked, you voted: Sarasota’s best pizza restaurant revealed

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Popular Sarasota waterfront restaurant is back open — and better than ever

The Capital Grille

140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota; 941-256-3647; thecapitalgrille.com

The outstanding national steakhouse chain, with a location inside The Mall at University Town Center, will be serving two courses of chef-created selections along with classic brunch cocktails and champagne on Easter. Highlights from the two-course prix-fixe menu (adults $60, children $17) include a blueberry bread basket, followed by cold-smoked salmon and avocado toast, and then a main course of Capital Grille’s always impressive filet mignon, served for Easter with soft fried egg, truffle hollandaise, asparagus, and a white cheddar hash brown. Not feeling the toast and filet? There are other first and second course combos, too — think clam chowder or a field greens salad to start, followed by a lobster frittata or pan-seared salmon.

10 best restaurants near Sarasota’s Mall at University Town Center for shopping and dining

Columbia Restaurant

411 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota; 941-388-3987; columbiarestaurant.com

Sarasota’s longest-running full-service restaurant, Columbia has been serving exceptional Spanish-Cuban cuisine on St. Armands Circle since 1959. The iconic, family-owned spot — offering both indoor and sidewalk seating — is taking Easter Sunday reservations and serving specials such as hand-carved Compart Family Farms ham, braised lamb shank, and flan for dessert, along with its full dinner menu featuring beloved items like the Original 1905 Salad prepared tableside or paella served in a traditional paella pan. Of course, nothing might be more fabulous on Easter than treating yourself to Columbia’s sangria, also prepared tableside.

10 most legendary restaurants in Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice area

Duval’s Fresh. Local. Seafood.

1435 Main St., Sarasota; 941-312-4001; duvalsfreshlocalseafood.com

The downtown Sarasota restaurant known for its locally sourced, smartly prepared seafood — with indoor and al fresco seating right on Main Street — will offer a special Easter menu alongside its regular selections. Highlights include appetizers, entrées, and desserts such as Cajun crab corn bisque, cashew-crusted black grouper, and carrot crème brûlée.

Grove

10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch; 941-893-4321; grovelwr.com

The Lakewood Ranch restaurant will offer an Easter brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the dining room and ballroom ($69.95 adults and $24.95 children under age 10, plus tax and service charge, with soft drinks and coffee/tea included.) Menu highlights will include a build-your-own omelet station, prime rib, sliced ham, shrimp and grits, roasted oysters and sushi. The Easter bunny will visit during brunch and pose for pictures. Grove will also offer an Easter dinner menu, available 4-10 p.m., in the dining room.

Marina Jack

2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota; 941-365-4232; marinajacks.com

One of the most iconic restaurants in Sarasota — boasting more than a half-century of history and gorgeous views of the bay — is unveiling a new Easter buffet menu for the holiday. Offerings include a salad bar, bread and antipasto displays, pasta station, seafood station, carving station with prime rib and pork loin, specials such as chicken marsala and baked salmon, and a dessert station. The cost, which includes soft drinks, coffee, and tea, is $80 per person plus tax. A 20% gratuity is added to every check.

10 most iconic restaurants in Sarasota area for delicious food, drinks in a fun setting!

Mattison’s

Multiple locations: mattisons.com

All three of chef and owner Paul Mattison’s popular namesake restaurants will be open Easter, with Mattison’s Forty-One’s on Tamiami Trail/U.S. 41 serving its Easter buffet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ($69 plus fees.) It will feature multiple stations for everything from breakfast classics to seafood dishes, with a carving station for prime rib and ham as well as a multitude of dessert and pastry options. Mattison’s City Grille in downtown Sarasota will be open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. with a la carte options, as will Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille in downtown Bradenton from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Michael’s on East

1212 S. East Ave., Sarasota; 941-366-0007; bestfood.com

The Sarasota fine-dining staple renowned for its premium aged steaks paired with a world-class wine selection will serve Easter brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., priced at $89.95 for adults, $49.95 for children ages 3 to 10, and free for ages 2 and under. The feast will feature both cold and hot buffet stations as well as an omelet, pancake and waffle station; a carving station offering prime rib and honey- and pineapple-glazed ham, and a dessert bar along with an ice cream sundae and bananas foster bar.

Michael’s on East will also cater a separate Easter brunch at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ downtown Sarasota campus, featuring cold, hot, omelet/pancake, carving and dessert stations, as well as an Easter egg hunt and balloon twisting for kids and full access to the Selby Gardens campus to view its current art exhibition “George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life.” There will be three seatings at 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m., costing $95 for adults ($85 Selby Gardens members), $50 children ages 5-17 and free ages 4 and under. For more information, visit selby.org.

Pier 22

1200 First Ave. W., Bradenton; 941-748-8087; pier22.com

One of the oldest restaurants in Bradenton (though it debuted a newly renovated patio and open-air bar last year), located right on the Manatee River, Pier 22 will serve an Easter brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Like its sister restaurant Grove, it will offer dishes such as build-your-own omelets, prime rib, shrimp and grits, roasted oysters and sushi, and will also cost $69.95 adults and $24.95 children under age 10, plus tax and service charge, with soft drinks and coffee/tea included. Pier 22 will then also offer an Easter dinner menu from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota

1111 Ritz Carlton Drive, Sarasota; ritzcarlton.com

Downtown Sarasota’s luxury hotel landmark will offer multiple Easter dining options, including a ballroom brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring gourmet culinary stations, a dessert display, dedicated children’s buffet, and drinks such as mimosas, bellinis and bloody marys for the adults. The Ritz-Carlton’s waterfront Jack Dusty restaurant will offer Easter breakfast from 7 to 11:30 a.m., with an enhanced a la carte menu for the remainder of the day, while Ridley’s Porch at The Ritz-Carlton Beach Club on Lido Key will feature an Easter dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. with a three-course prix fixe menu and live entertainment. Reservations for all holiday dining experiences are required. Ridley’s Porch reservations are exclusive to hotel guests and members and can be made by calling 941-309-2577, while reservations for Jack Dusty and Easter Grand Ballroom Brunch can be made on OpenTable.

Taverna Toscana

1301 Sixth Ave. W., Bradenton; 941-357-7772; tavernatoscana.com

Downtown Bradenton’s most dazzling new restaurant of 2024, this venture by celebrity chef and restaurateur Fabio Viviani — known for creative takes on classic Italian fare and premium steaks — will be serving a buffet-style Easter brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Expect breakfast staples, a carving station with prime rib, maple-glazed ham, miso mahi, and chicken with truffle au jus, along with signature Italian favorites such as wagyu Bolognese rigatoni and pasta in blush vodka sauce. There’s also a dessert station stocked with tiramisu, Nutella cheesecake bites, flourless chocolate cake, and assorted cookies. Plus, kids can meet the Easter Bunny between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Cost is $75 per person (plus tax and gratuity), $20 for kids 6–12, and free for children under 5.

Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.

AI-assisted summary Huckberry is having a Memorial Day sale with discounts up to 35% off.

The sale includes a variety of men’s clothing, shoes, and gear.

The sale ends on Monday, May 26, 2025, which is Memorial Day.

Having comfortable and reliable clothing sometimes can fall to the wayside. However, the best of both worlds can be found at Huckberry, where men’s clothing, shoes and other gear is their speciality.

To have high quality apparel can get expensive. Fortunately, Huckberry is currently holding a Memorial Day sale where you can save up to 35% off on their top products.

Whether you need a new go-to shirt while at the beach or out fishing, or are looking for fresh boots to hike in, Huckberry’s sale has plenty of options. You better act fast, because those sweet deals end on Monday, May 26.

Here’s some of the items you can save big on during Huckberry’s sale.

Howler Brothers Open Country Tech Short Sleeve Shirt

Howler Brothers Open Country Tech Short Sleeve Shirt The combination of a quick-drying nylon and polyester blend keeps you dry out on the water. The combination of a quick-drying nylon and polyester blend keeps you dry out on the water. Get $24 off at Huckberry

LUCA Terra Moc Chukka Sneaker Boot

LUCA Terra Moc Chukka Sneaker Boot You get the best of both worlds with a hybrid sneaker boot, allowing for both comfort and style. You get the best of both worlds with a hybrid sneaker boot, allowing for both comfort and style. Get $20 off at Huckberry

Ciele Athletics GOCap Comp Century Hat

Ciele Athletics GOCap Comp Century Hat An all-in-one running hat that offers breathability and features a reflective logo. An all-in-one running hat that offers breathability and features a reflective logo. Get $15 off at Huckberry

Filson Surveyor Backpack

Filson Surveyor Backpack Great for hiking as it’s durable and water-resistant. Great for hiking as it’s durable and water-resistant. Get $57 off at Huckberry

Flint and Tinder Corduroy Western Shirt

Flint and Tinder Corduroy Western Shirt This Western-inspired style gives a sleek look for everyday use. This Western-inspired style gives a sleek look for everyday use. Get $24 off at Huckberry

Diemme Roccia Vet Hiking Boot

Diemme Roccia Vet Hiking Boot This hiking boot features a rubber sole for superior traction. This hiking boot features a rubber sole for superior traction. Get $138 off at Huckberry

Proof Rover EDC Short

Proof Rover EDC Short These shorts include seven pockets to stow away any gear. These shorts include seven pockets to stow away any gear. Get $15 off at Huckberry

Proof Rover EDC Pant

Proof Rover EDC Pant These great travel pants boast eight pockets and have a moisture-wicking fabric. These great travel pants boast eight pockets and have a moisture-wicking fabric. Get 50% off at Huckberry

When is Memorial Day 2025?

Memorial Day 2025 is observed on Monday, May 26.

Is Memorial Day a federal holiday?

Yes, Memorial Day is one of the 11 federal holidays recognized nationwide. It’s also the unofficial start to summer in the retail world.

The Sarasota County Commission scheduled a workshop for April 9 to discuss whether $14 million in public funds would be used to widen a small portion of Bee Ridge Road, a move that many think would only benefit a planned super development east of Interstate 75.

The commission last month initially approved splitting the $28 million cost of widening a portion Bee Ridge Road − from Bent Tree Boulevard to Lorraine Road – with the developers of Hi-Hat Ranch.

However, the deal faced immediate backlash on social media. Matt Osterhoudt, the county’s Director of Planning and Development Services, estimated in a memo last October that the road widening would cost $14 million.

Months later, that projected cost had doubled with a new estimate by the engineering firm Kimley-Horn. The entire road deal was negotiated by Alan Maio – a principal at Kimley-Horn and former Sarasota County Commissioner, according to a report from the Florida Trident.

This month, the commissioners called off the widening deal and said they would schedule a public workshop on it.

Commissioner Tom Knight’s Facebook post becomes a flashpoint

Jim Turner, a member of the family that owns the Hi-Hat Ranch and an attorney with the influential Sarasota law firm Williams Parker, subsequently sent a letter to Commissioner Tom Knight, who had criticized the road deal in a social media post. The letter, obtained by the Herald-Tribune, said Knight’s post contained “materially inaccurate information.”

Turner referenced a Feb. 10 Facebook post from Knight, in which the commissioner expressed outrage at commission’s initial vote – for which he was the only no vote.

“I was the only nay vote on a request by local developers to have Sarasota County taxpayers pay for half of the cost to extend Bee Ridge Road into their proposed housing development, where more than 13,000 houses will be built. The deal included a minimum of $14M out of YOUR pocket and access through 24 acres of YOUR county-owned property WITHOUT SO MUCH AS AN APPRAISAL OF ITS VALUE,” Knight posted, along with the red-faced angry emoji with a swear censor of its mouth.

Saying he was speaking on “behalf of the Hi-Hat family,” he told Knight “it is your duty to correct that misinformation.”

Turner took serious issue with the word “extend.” The shared cost would be to widen about a mile-long portion of Bee Ridge Road leading toward the Hi-Hat Ranch.

“The extension will not cost taxpayers anything. However, Hi-Hat has also agreed to split the cost with the County to widen existing Bee Ridge Road…” Turner wrote; he forwarded the letter to the other four Sarasota County commissioners.

“Since this misinformation is being spread among the uninformed public, it is incumbent on you to correct it from the dais at the next County Commission meeting,” the letter dated Feb. 14 said.

Turner argues the widening would have a public benefit, citing increasing traffic, complaints by people who live in the area and future county transportation needs as population in east Sarasota County grows.

Knight expressed skepticism.

“Letter or not, I fundamentally oppose using citizens’ money and land to front the cost of a road that is mainly going to benefit a developer,” Knight told the Herald-Tribune.

The commissioner said he favored the transparency of a public workshop to further discuss the issue.

Osterhoudt had told Knight in response to a question at a previous county meeting that “the driving nexus for widening Bee Ridge Road would be that development.”

The Circus Arts Conservatory will be sending acts up in the air and around the performance ring for the 2025 edition of Circus Sarasota.

The show runs Wednesdays through Sundays Feb. 15-March 9 under the big top at Nathan Benderson Park, where Joseph Baugher Jr. will once again serve as ringmaster, introducing eight different acts, ranging from acrobats, dogs, tightwire and hand balancing to flying trapeze.

Baugher represents the 15th generation from one of Switzerland’s oldest circus families.

This year’s performing acts are:

Eve Diamond, performing a Cloud Swing act, has been an aerialist for 25 years and got her start training at the Circus Smirkus camp at age 12.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Johnny Peers’ Muttville Comix dog act features a graduate of the Rignling Bros. Clown College, who works primarily with dogs rescued from shelters. His act has been seen on The Late Show with David Letterman, Circus of the Stars, Disneyland, Busch Gardens and the Big Apple Circus.

Pelligrini Brothers, hand balancing, has performed with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and at the National Basketball Association playoffs. They are 1993 winners of the Lowes prize at the Festival of Monte Carlo, where they also received the Golden Clown Award.

Noel Aguilar, juggling, was born into a family of performers and first learned juggling as a child from his father. Among his honors are the Clown Award for the New Generation presented by the royal family of Monte Carlo.

David Vassallo, Bounding rope, is a third-generation clown who learned about walking on a rope and other skills from his father. He has performed witht he Billy Smart Circus in England, and recently worked with Cirkus Arnardo in Norway.

Brando Anastasini, tightrope, is a ninth generation perform who started performing as a young artist with the Anastasini dog act in the Ringling Bros. circus, as well as the Big Apple Circus. He was presented with the Generation Next Award at the Circus Ring of Fame in 2024.

Arts Newsletter: Sign up to receive the latest news on the Sarasota area arts scene every Monday

Tightening the requirements: Sarasota County Commission sets new guidelines for arts and cultural groups seeking grants

Yonas and Teddy Icarian perform a unique act that combines physical skill, artistic expression and acrobatic precisions, drawing inspiration from the mythological figure of Icarus.

The Flying Caballeros, a flying trapeze act, comes to Circus Sarasota directly from receiving the Golden Clown Award at the International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo. The performers represent the fifth generation of the family flying trapeze team.

The 2025 edition of Circus Sarasota will be presented at 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and 1 and 5 p.m. Sundays at the Circus Arts Conservatory Big Top at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. Tickets are $40-$100. 20 percent discount coupons are available for opening week shows. Parking is $10. 941-355-9805; circusarts.org