The Winn-Dixie on Lake Trafford Road in Immokalee, a longtime community staple, will close its doors in late October.
An Aldi will take its place, and locals are sharing mixed feelings about this upcoming change. Carrie Dupree, a local resident, expressed her nostalgia for the store.
"I've been coming here since I was a kid," said Dupree. "I mean, I remember when they had the little carousel in the front, and they had a machine you put a quarter in and get the whole chicken egg and little prizes as a kid. And it was just like the spot to come."
Dupree also shared her concerns about the transition.
"I just don't know about Aldi," she said. "I haven't shopped there a lot, so really don't know about their brands or the products they're going to have."
Maria Montes, another local, echoed similar sentiments. "I'm not happy about it," said Montes. "A lot of people are not happy about it. We love our Winn-Dixie."
However, not everyone in the community views the change negatively. Daniel Bani believes Aldi's arrival could be beneficial.
"I think it's gonna benefit Immokalee," said Bani. "Now these prices are far better for your produce." Immokalee is known as a walking and biking community.
Dupree is concerned that some residents will have no choice but to shop at Aldi when the transition occurs.
"They'll be forced to shop at Aldi's whether you know they want to or not," she said. Corporate representatives confirmed the closure and transition to Aldi.
They assured that Winn-Dixie employees would have the first opportunity to stay with Aldi or transfer to another Winn-Dixie location.