Consultants say Dade City market shows $90 million retail gap; commission debates focus on 301 corridor vs. downtown

Garrett Smitherman, a consultant with Retail Strategies, told the Dade City Commission that the firm’s market analysis shows a Dade City total market supply of $820,000,000 and a demand of $909,000,000 — leaving a roughly $90,000,000 opportunity gap in local retail spending that currently flows to neighboring markets.

The gap, Smitherman said during the Feb. meeting, points to categories where Dade City is underrepresented, including beverage operators (coffee and juice), full-service and limited-service restaurants, grocery/supermarket, health/medicine retail and apparel. "We want to capture those dollars," Smitherman said, describing the firm’s role in matching national and regional brands with available local sites.

Retail Strategies described an active pipeline of interest: seven restaurant prospects spanning fast-casual, sandwich and family pizza concepts; three new-to-market coffee brands plus one seeking a second location; two automotive prospects (a care-and-maintenance operator and a convenience/travel store); two hotel opportunities (one structured to work with local investors); and a larger apparel retailer interested in backfilling existing space. The consultants emphasized that many national retailers look first to established commercial…