Sleiman Enterprises is seeking applications for the inaugural class of its retail incubation program, RISE – Retail Incubator for Sleiman Entrepreneurs.
The incubator is geared toward retail entrepreneurs and first-time business owners, helping them “kickstart their business and open a brick-and-mortar store” in a Sleiman shopping center, according to a news release from the company.
RISE will help lower the startups’ first-year costs by providing free base rent for one year. The Sleiman specialty leasing team will teach entrepreneurs about retail leasing, sales forecasting and space design.
The goal is to develop the concept by the second year, when the entrepreneur signs a traditional lease.
05:20 AM EST Share There’s no indication, and no comment, whether Earth Fare will return to the East Arlington shopping center.
Sleiman Enterprises and Earth Fare announced the return of the natural and organic foods grocer to Sleiman’s Shoppes of St. Johns Parkway in St. Johns County, which raises the question about the store’s potential return to East Arlington.
Earth Fare in February closed three stores in Northeast Florida – the St. Johns County, Arlington and Mandarin locations. Winn-Dixie took over the Mandarin store.
The chain declared bankruptcy but is reopening with new investors.
With the return to St. Johns County, that leaves the East Arlington location available in the Atlantic North shopping center at 11901 Atlantic Blvd. at northwest Kernan and Atlantic boulevards.