The owner of Enson Market Jax LLC bought the Winn-Dixie supermarket along Old St. Augustine Road, indicating the conversion of the property for the Asian and international foods grocer.
Old St. Augustine Plaza LLC, led by Haichao Lui, paid $5 million for the property Feb. 6 at 11101 Old St. Augustine Road at northeast Interstate 295 and Old St. Augustine Road.
Miami Lakes-based Gator Old St. Augustine Jax LLC sold the 4.9-acre site. Led by James Goldsmith, president and CEO of Gator Investments, the LLC bought the property in 2018 for $3.4 million.
Property records show the almost 46,000-square-foot supermarket was built in 1994. City building records indicate it was renovated in 2008 at a cost of $937,400.
Old St. Augustine Plaza LLC took out two construction mortgages Feb. 7 from Stearns Bank of St. Cloud, Minnesota, totaling $7.28 million.
Enson Market also has applied to the city for a Certificate of Use to operate a grocery store at the property.
Enson Market Jax Inc. said in the city application dated Nov. 20, 2024, that it intends to open a 44,000-square-foot store at that address.
Haichao Lui is listed as the owner. State records show Lui is president of Enson Market Jax LLC and is a manager with Greenlogic LLC of Windemere.
That application followed Enson Market Jax Inc.’s registration Oct. 8, 2024, with the Florida Division of Corporations, listing the business at 11101 Old St. Augustine Road.
Enson Markets are supplied by Enson Group of Cincinnati.
Enson locations
The Florida locations are in Gainesville, Orlando and Plantation.
Enson Group says it owns international supermarket chains “all over the U.S.”
“We keep expanding our business in supermarkets and grocery stores, and we are establishing the fastest-growing grocery store chain in America,” it says.
Enson Market says that “from nature to organic, from Asia to America, you can find all types of products you need at our place.”
The stores carry fresh, frozen and packaged foods, meats, seafood and produce, along with other merchandise and a hot bar or food court.
Previous research showed seven Enson Markets in five states – Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio and Virginia.
The five Enson Market LLCs in Florida were registered with the state in 2020 (Orlando), 2021 (Plantation and Orlando), 2022 (Gainesville) and, for Jacksonville, 2024.
Enson Group says it is in the food service supplies and equipment industry. It says it is the parent company of Enson Cincinnati, Enson Reading, Enson Philadelphia, Enson St. Louis, Enson Seafood IN Inc., doing business as First Choice Seafood, and Enson Seafood GA Inc.
It says it provides food supplies for restaurants in the Midwest and states on the East Coast, including Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.
Asian markets
Enson Market would be the third large Asian and international foods market to open, announce or disclose plans for a Jacksonville presence.
Lotte Plaza Market, a Korean- and Asian-focused grocery store, has been approved to renovate the closed Best Buy electronics store at 9355 Atlantic Blvd. in the Regency area of Arlington at a cost of $8.99 million. The store is almost 45,800 square feet.
RD International Market opened in February 2024 in a renovated 52,600-square-foot Winn-Dixie at 7534 Beach Blvd. in the Hogan area. The Asian and seafood market, carries food, decor, housewares, fresh produce, refrigerated foods, frozen and fresh meats and fish and more than 50 live seafood tanks and a food court.
Winn-Dixie
The Old St. Augustine Road Winn-Dixie remained open as of Feb. 14.
In a statement Dec. 6, Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers Inc., the parent company of Winn-Dixie, did not confirm nor deny that the Old St. Augustine store will close.
Winn-Dixie continues in transition amid ownership changes.
German discount grocer Aldi, whose U.S. headquarters are in Illinois, bought Southeastern Grocers and its Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores in March 2024.
It began converting some of those to the Aldi brand.
But less than a year after that deal, Southeastern Grocers Inc. announced Feb. 7 that a group of private investors acquired the company and would immediately assume day-to-day operations of Winn-Dixie grocery and liquor stores and Harveys Supermarkets.
The deal was led by Southeastern Grocers CEO and President Anthony Hucker and C&S Wholesale Grocers, a long-time supplier for the company.
The deal included about 170 grocery stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as the existing Winn-Dixie liquor store business.
Aldi intends to complete its previously stated conversion plans with a total of about 220 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores. That process is expected to conclude in 2027.