Trader Joe's has filed building permits with the City of Orlando to convert a former Burlington store at 3001 E. Colonial Drive into its next Central Florida grocery store, tucked inside Colonial Marketplace between a SuperTarget and an LA Fitness. The proposed 12,500-square-foot location sits west of Orlando Fashion Square Mall, and if it moves forward, it would mark the specialty grocer's sixth store in the Metro Orlando area.
According to GrowthSpotter, the company filed for building permits with the City of Orlando for the interior buildout of the former Burlington store at the Colonial Drive address, which would place the grocer directly beside the shopping center's anchor SuperTarget and the LA Fitness. GrowthSpotter reported on the planned addition to Colonial Marketplace on October 22, before the Orlando Sentinel reported on it on October 26. The center sits at the intersection of East Colonial Drive and Maguire Boulevard, according to leasing materials from property owner Brixmor.
Separately, WESH confirmed that the City of Orlando received an application for a project at 3001 E. Colonial Drive to convert the existing building into a Trader Joe's grocery store. The station reports the permit description includes interior renovations such as new partitions, fixtures, millwork, flooring, ceilings and lighting, along with mechanical, plumbing and electrical work. Notably, the permit does not specify an opening date for the proposed store, the station's report adds.
No Timeline, No Confirmation Yet
Nobody should start planning a grocery run just yet. Per the permitting portal's own disclaimers, filing an application is not the same as approval — the City of Orlando's digital permitting system notes that all information is subject to final staff review, and a proposed use may not be allowed if it fails to meet required development standards. Permit requirements, fees and zoning details can also change once that review happens.
If the deal closes, it would be the sixth Trader Joe's in the Metro Orlando area, ClickOrlando reports.
Part of a Broader Central Florida Push
The Colonial Drive filing is just one piece of a larger build-out across the region. Trader Joe's is also expected to open its third East Orlando store later in 2026 or in early 2027, per the same GrowthSpotter report, with additional Central Florida locations in the works near the University of Central Florida, in Kissimmee and in Maitland.
That East Orlando project involves retrofitting a former Party City space at the Waterford Oaks shopping center on North Alafaya Trail. In Kissimmee, North American Development Group owns Loop West, where the City of Kissimmee approved construction plans for a 12,500-square-foot grocery store, while a Maitland project — already granted final approval from the city's Development Review Committee in June — calls for a 17,800-square-foot building split between a 12,500-square-foot anchor tenant and 5,300 square feet of inline retail, roughly three miles from the existing Trader Joe's at the Lakeside shopping plaza in Winter Park.
A Chain on a Growth Tear
None of this is happening in isolation. Trader Joe's opened 43 stores nationwide in 2025, according to Grocery Dive, and a company spokesperson told the outlet the chain plans to open more than 20 stores in 2026, with 17 of those yet to open as of the report. GrowthSpotter adds that the company has announced plans for 30 more stores in 2027.
The chain's stores typically don't announce themselves far in advance — according to The Hill, locations are usually marked as opening soon online just three to six months before they're expected to welcome customers. For now, the Colonial Marketplace filing is a paper trail, not a storefront — but for a chain that opened 43 stores nationwide in 2025, it is a paper trail worth watching.
