NORTH PORT – Hundreds of Costco shoppers waiting for the new North Port store to open in Wellen Park were rewarded with 23 bonus minutes of shopping, as warehouse manager Ledif Bobey opened the doors at 7:37 a.m., following a brief ceremony and ribbon cutting.
The advertised grand opening time was 8 a.m. Near the front of the loosely organized line, North Port residents Brenda and Terry Seal had been waiting since 6 a.m.
“We love Costco, we always have,” Terry Seal said.
They'd shopped at the Sarasota store but said they are happy to have a Costco membership warehouse closer to home.
Ilona and Andrew Duvall, also North Port residents, came out of curiosity.
Ilona had shopped at the Sarasota store but Andrew had never been to one.
“I thought the selections are outstanding and so I really enjoyed it, and I kept saying, ‘I hope we get one in North Port,’ and we did!” Ilona Duvall said.
Their wait for the store to open pales by comparison to the overnight camping by people waiting for the Costco liquor store to open – but more on that later.
North Port Costco is second to open in Sarasota County
Costco Wholesale Corporation’s newest store covers 157,000 square feet.
Technically, it is only open for warehouse members, who pay to belong at rates starting at $60 annually.
Typical hours of operation for the warehouse are 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The new Costco is at 11700 Mezzo Drive, on the southeast side of a new roundabout on U.S. 41 that connects the highway with Mezzo Drive to the south and Tortuga Cay Drive to the north.
Immediately south of the roundabout, there’s also a direct entrance from U.S. 41 southbound to the gas station.
Shoppers in North Port are greeted by big-screen TVs at the entrance and can follow aisles full of bargains, samples and perhaps pick up a bargain rotisserie chicken for dinner.
It is the second Costco in Sarasota County and third in the region, along with stores at Sarasota Square Mall and State Road 64, off of Interstate 75 in Manatee County.
Costco also has a store off of Interstate 75 in Brandon and two in Lee County.
Costco currently operates 878 warehouses worldwide, with 605 of those in the United States.
“Our expansion, both nationally and globally is due to enthusiastic acceptance by our members of our distinctive and unique model of retailing,” Costco president and CEO Ron Vachris said in a prepared statement.
The company has earned a good reputation for its selection of brand-name and private-label merchandise, as well as offering its employees the highest wages in the warehouse industry and ethical business practices.
The North Port store opened with a roster of 240 employees, including 120 transfers from other stores and 120 new hires from North Port and south Sarasota County.
Tara Coltman, Southeast Regional Marketing Manager for Costco, said Florida in general is an attractive place, “but North Port is up and coming.”
News of the retailer coming to North Port broke in September, 2021. General contractor Gray Construction and Costco staff needed only 130 days to build and stock the store.
“One hundred and thirty days ago, there was nothing here,” said Bobey, who has lived in North Port for five years. “And in 130 days, the entire place came. And I couldn't have done it without the construction workers, all of our employees working tirelessly, the support from the county, the city and the (West) Villages.
“The first thing that said hello to me was a sandhill crane so that’s part of my shirt right now – I had never seen them before,” he added.
A regional welcome party for Costco
More than 260 members pre-registered with the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce for Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting. They were joined by the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce for what was essentially a regional celebration.
“Costco is here, baby!” Bill Gunnin, executive director of the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce said, as the festivities opened. “I tell you what, there’s nobody home, they’re all out here.
“There’s been a line of people for that bourbon special, it’s unreal.”
Sarasota County Commissioner Ron Cutsinger reminisced about how when he moved to Englewood 50 years ago and drove Tamiami Trail, “there was nothing here – I could never have imagined that one day there'd be a Costco 10 minutes from my house.
“What a wonderful community,” he added. “This is not only Costo, this is an amazing community and this sets the bar for what North Port is doing and what North Port is going to do.”
North Port City Manager Jerome Fletcher echoed the sentiments of both men when it was his turn at the microphone.
“There are over 90,000 people in the city of North Port and I believe all of them will be here today,” Fletcher said. “It will raise and elevate South County.”
Fletcher acknowledged the behind the scenes work that went on to allow the Costco to open in 130 days “that no one will ever see and appreciate.”
Then. Sharon Matthews, president of the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce, officially rolled out the welcome mat.
“We are thrilled to have you join our community,” Matthews said. “We look forward to partnering with you and seeing all the wonderful things in our community that we can do for you.”
‘Bourbon, bourbon and bourbon’
Deerfield Beach resident Kevin Triplett – first in line for the liquor store to open – was among the enthusiasts who spent almost 12 hours in line waiting for Costco to open.
Triplett summed up his reason to travel across the state as, “Bourbon, bourbon and bourbon – hard-to-get bourbons that Costcos typically won’t get any other time – during the grand openings, they have highly allocated stuff and very good prices.
“That’s why we’re all here.”
The opening of the North Port store is the third one he’s attended to snatch up good bourbon at bargain prices. Before that it was Clermont and Daytona Beach.
“This is the most people I’ve seen in line for the opening of a regular store in the three openings I’ve been to,” he added. "Daytona was 10 or 12” people.
Pensacola resident Byron Allen visited his cousin Harvey Purvis in Clermont and both decided to drive south for bourbon bargains, too.
“It’s pretty down here, it’s nice,” Purvis said. “Everything is fresh and new.
Allen added: “It’s going to develop in the next few years, with Costco here.”
