Maitland City Centre announces new tenants

Mixed-use project Maitland City Centre continues to inch closer to completion, and its first floor retail space is filling up quickly.

The apartments currently are scheduled to be complete by August, and the retail area — which will feature a variety of restaurants and other retail — will be complete sometime in September or October. Allen Morris Company chairman and CEO W. Allen Morris said his company is still getting interest.

Currently, more than 70% of the retail space has been filled. Businesses include Starbucks, Subway, Midici’s Pizza, Burgerim Gourmet Burgers, 407 Gelato, Bam Barre and Renaissance Med Spa. The newest additions include Boku Sushi, Dixie Belle’s Cafe and Cookit World LLC.

“We really want to have a unique and diverse experience for people when they go there,” Morris said. “So it’s not the predictable experience of the typical hamburger and typical fast food. We are going to have a very carefully curated group of experiences that is going to feel like you’re strolling down a city street where restaurants and cafes have been for years.”

With the addition of Boku Sushi — which will be leasing a 2,000-square-foot space — the center will see Chef Tim Liu bring his signature dishes to the Maitland community. Liu has spent more than 10 years at Mikado Sushi & Grill in its locations in MetroWest, Hunters Creek and Lake Mary.

And for those who may not have a taste for sushi, the family owned Dixie Belle’s Cafe will offer something a bit more American. The cafe will set up shop in a 4,311-square-foot space and offer down-home cuisine, including its signature sweet potato biscuits. The menu will include specials for all three meals of the day, so visitors will be treated to great deals, Morris said.

Finally, the center will welcome a rather unique business to occupy a 1,132-square-foot space downstairs called Cookit World LLC.

“They have pre-prepared meals for people (who) live in the apartments,” Morris said. “They can just pop in and pick up a meal and take it upstairs to their apartment to heat up. They have it already packaged and ready to pop in the oven … for people that may be coming home from work who want to pick up something and don’t want to go out.”

Morris’ company is in negotiations with three more restaurants for a single spot.

In addition to the eateries, the center also will include Bam Barre and Renaissance Med Spa, Morris said his company is looking to expand the diversity of the center’s retail area even further and mentioned his group hopes to bring a high-end jewelry store into the project.

The goal is to offer a living experience that can have a positive effect on both Maitland City Centre and the Maitland area.

“Our whole mission statement is to inspire, impress and improve,” Morris said. “The bottom line is that we want to improve the lives of everyone who lives and visits Maitland City Centre.”