Gumenick Properties Announces Southern Season To Locate Gourmet Store In Henrico County

HENRICO COUNTY, Va., Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Season today announced plans to open a 49,000-square foot gourmet food store in Staples Mill Centre; the 80-acre urban mixed-use community located between West Broad Street and Staples Mill Road near Libbie Avenue.  The retail store will be a "culinary mecca," offering a wide variety of gourmet foods, an extensive wine selection, hard-to-find grocery items, housewares, cookware, candy, cut flowers, coffee shop, ice cream shop, tasting stations, take-out prepared food, cheese, gifts and a bakery.  The store will also feature a full-service restaurant and cooking school.

Based in Chapel Hill, N.C., Southern Season operates a 60,000-square-foot flagship gourmet food emporium there.  It recently announced plans to open its second store, in the summer of 2013 in Charleston, S.C.  The Henrico County store will be the company's third.  The company has announced an expansion plan that will involve launching new stores in Charlotte, N.C., Birmingham, Ala., Atlanta, Ga., Nashville, Tenn., Northern Virginia, Palm Beach, Fla., and Naples, Fla.

"We are excited to bring the Southern Season experience to Richmond.  We plan to carry on the tradition of offering the full-service experience our customers have grown to love.  The new store will include one of the world's largest gourmet food markets with a vast selection of local and international products," said Clay Hamner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Season Acquisition Corp., owner of Southern Season.

Gumenick Properties believes Southern Season will fit well with its plans for the new community.

"We envision Staples Mill Centre as a close-knit neighborhood and regional destination. Southern Season's unique blend of gourmet products and amenities will appeal to the surrounding community's residents, who can walk to the store, as well as Central Virginians looking for special shopping, dining and hands-on kitchen experiences in an attractive, friendly setting," said Wayne A. Chasen, Gumenick Properties president and chief executive officer.

The new Southern Season store will be located along the Henrico County site's southeastern boundary near Staples Mill Road.  Architectural and engineering work is underway for the building.  If all goes according to plan, construction on the store will begin in the fall of 2013 with the grand opening currently set for mid-2014.  No further zoning is needed for a store, as this was provided for in a provisional-use permit previously approved by Henrico County's Board of Supervisors.

Southern Season officials believe that Central Virginians will be attracted to their store based on their offerings and experience in Chapel Hill.  Southern Season attracts customers from throughout North Carolina and beyond and is a must site to visit while in Chapel Hill.

"Richmond is the ideal market for our customers.  We have a strong belief and heritage in gourmet food, food education and hospitality and a passion for the art of entertaining.  We pride ourselves in offering friendly service with great tastings and distinct products, from locally sourced to hard-to-find international items.  Southern Season is the one-stop shop for all your gourmet entertaining needs.  We offer more than 80,000 gourmet food, gift and entertaining ideas that cater to every generation and need," said Larry Shaw, Southern Season president and chief executive officer.

While Southern Season is Staples Mill Centre's first commercial tenant, Henrico County announced plans in June to build a new public library in the community to replace the current Dumbarton Library.  The three-story library will be located next to a two-acre lake with a fountain, creating an attractive gathering place surrounded by residences and shops. The library, which will have 50,000 to 60,000 square feet of floor space, is expected to be under construction in mid-2014 with an opening slated for summer 2016.  Gumenick Properties donated the land for the library.

Gumenick Properties also plans to open the first building of retail shops and offices that is planned along Staples Mill Road in 2015 and to locate its offices there.

When finished, the neighborhood is projected to have 994 homes for sale and 1,096 apartments.  The community also will have a total of approximately 150,000 square feet of retail space and approximately 50,000 square feet of office space.  The project is estimated to take at least 10 years to complete. 

Barry Hofheimer and Alex Hamilton of the Richmond, Va., office of CBRE represented Southern Season on this transaction.

Founded in 1975, Southern Season prides itself on offering unique, high-quality food and kitchen products to customers.  The company has been featured in Travel + Leisure, Southern Living and Gourmet Retailer, as well as on the Food Network.  The National Association for Specialty Food named the company Outstanding Retailer of the Year and Gourmet News presented the firm with its Retail Achievement Award for its success in food education.  The late New York Times food critic, Craig Claiborne, described Southern Season as "wall to wall and floor to ceiling ... a gustatory delight!"  Learn more about Southern Season at www.southernseason.com.

Based in Henrico, Gumenick Properties is an award-winning real estate development and management company with operations throughout the Southeast.  Founded in the late 1940s, the company now engages in two primary lines of business – apartment community development and operations and homebuilding.  The company owns and operates apartment communities in Florida and Virginia.  In addition, the company currently is actively engaged in the creation of two new home communities in Henrico County, Grayson Hill and Monument Square.  Learn more about Gumenick Properties at www.gumenick.com.

SOUTHERN SEASON STORE ANNOUNCEMENT

January 31, 2013

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is happening at Staples Mill Centre?
Southern Season has announced plans to open a 49,000+/- square foot gourmet food store.  The store will include a bakery, coffee shop, ice cream shop, tasting stations, cooking school and a full-service restaurant at Staples Mill Centre. This is the community's first commercial tenant.

What will the store offer?
The retail store will be a "culinary mecca," offering a wide variety of gourmet foods, an extensive wine selection, hard-to-find grocery items, housewares, cookware, candy, cut flowers, take-out prepared food, cheese and gifts. The store will also include a coffee shop, ice cream shop, tasting stations, bakery, a full-service restaurant and a cooking school.

What is Southern Season?
Based in Chapel Hill, N.C., Southern Season operates a 60,000-square foot flagship gourmet food emporium there.  Founded in 1975, Southern Season prides itself on offering unique, high-quality food and kitchen products to customers.  The company has been featured in Travel + Leisure, Southern Living and Gourmet Retailer, as well as on the Food Network.  The National Association for Specialty Food named the company Outstanding Retailer of the Year and Gourmet News presented the firm with its Retail Achievement Award for its success in food education.  The late New York Times food critic, Craig Claiborne, described Southern Season as "wall to wall and floor to ceiling ... a gustatory delight!"  Learn more about Southern Season at www.southernseason.com.

Does Southern Season have other stores?
It recently announced plans to open its second store during the summer of 2013 in Charleston, S.C.  The Henrico County store will be the company's third location.  The company has announced an expansion plan that will involve launching new stores in Charlotte, Birmingham, Atlanta, Nashville, Northern Virginia, Palm Beach, Fla., and Naples, Fla.

What is Staples Mill Centre?
Staples Mill Centre is an approximately 80-acre urban mixed-use community located between West Broad Street and Staples Mill Road near Libbie Avenue. Gumenick Properties of Henrico County is developing the community.

What will the neighborhood contain?
Upon completion, the neighborhood is projected to have 994 homes for-sale homes and 1,096 apartments.  The community will also have a total of approximately 150,000 square feet of retail space and approximately 50,000 square feet of office space. The project is estimated to take at least 10 years to complete.

Where will the Southern Season store be located?
The Southern Season store will be located along the site's southeastern boundary near Staples Mill Road.

What is the construction schedule?
Architectural and engineering work is currently underway for the building.  Construction on the store is planned to begin in the fall of 2013 with the grand opening currently set for mid-2014.

Is new zoning needed to accommodate the store?
No further zoning is needed for a store, as this was provided for in a Provisional Use Permit previously approved by Henrico County's Board of Supervisors.

Have any other plans been announced for Staples Mill Centre?
Yes. Henrico County announced plans in June of 2012 to build a new public library in the community to replace the current Dumbarton Library.  The three-story library will be located next to a two-acre lake with a fountain, creating an attractive gathering place surrounded by residences and shops. The library, which will have 50,000 to 60,000 square feet of floor space, is expected to be under construction in mid-2014 with an opening slated for summer 2016.  Gumenick Properties donated the land for the library.

What is Gumenick Properties?
Based in Henrico, Gumenick Properties is an award-winning real estate development and management company with operations throughout the Southeast.  Founded in the late 1940s, the company now engages in two primary lines of business – apartment community development and operations and homebuilding.  The company owns and operates apartment communities in Virginia and Florida.  In addition, the company is actively engaged in the creation of two new home communities in Henrico County, Grayson Hill and Monument Square.  Learn more about Gumenick Properties at www.gumenick.com.

SOUTHERN SEASON STORE AT STAPLES MILL CENTRE

January 31, 2012

FACT SHEET

SOURCE Southern Season