Trader Joe's is finally making a play for East Orlando. The grocer lists a new "Coming Soon" location at 1444 North Alafaya Trail in the Waterford Lakes shopping center, a smaller-format store that would land less than three miles from the University of Central Florida. That online hint alone has local real estate sleuths and food writers poring over permits and renderings to figure out when doors might actually open.
Where the Store Is Listed
The listing on the Trader Joe's store page shows 1444 North Alafaya Trail as "Coming Soon." The entry confirms the address and basic store details but does not offer an opening date or any hiring information yet.
Permits Point to Former Party City
County permitting records, along with local coverage, indicate the incoming store is taking over the former Party City space, with building permits filed in late December to prepare the roughly 15,000-square-foot unit for a new tenant. Reporting by ClickOrlando notes that the permits call for minor site modifications, and GrowthSpotter has reported that the permit was submitted by an Orlando engineering firm whose president expected work to begin soon.
No Opening Date Yet
FOX 35 Orlando reports that the Alafaya Trail site is less than three miles from UCF and that Trader Joe's has not announced an opening date. The station also points out that the store page indicates the location will sell beer and wine and that Florida now has roughly 29 Trader Joe's stores, following late-2025 openings in Daytona Beach and Melbourne. Based on hours at other Florida locations, outlets are projecting a likely schedule of about 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. until Trader Joe's confirms specifics.
What It Means For Shoppers
For shoppers on Orlando's east side and UCF students, the Waterford Lakes spot could cut out the current drives to Winter Park or Sand Lake for a Trader Joe's run. Food blog TastyChomps has noted that the plaza shares nearly 400 parking spaces with neighboring big-box retailers, which could help avoid the packed-lot crunch that hits some other locations at peak hours. Industry coverage shows the chain has been rolling out multiple openings and "coming soon" announcements across Florida and around the country in recent months. TastyChomps has tracked the local permitting and possible timing for the Waterford Lakes store, while Supermarket News has compiled the broader list of recent and upcoming Trader Joe's sites.
For now, the online listing is the clearest public sign that Trader Joe's is officially targeting Waterford Lakes. Details on hiring, a ribbon-cutting, and final store hours are expected to follow as interior work moves ahead. Updates should land once Trader Joe's announces an opening date or the landlord files the final permits.
