Seth Johnson
Burlington Coat Factory struck a deal and will open in Butler Plaza during the Fall of 2022 following its first store’s success.
The retailer currently plans to open next to Boot Barn, which just cut the ribbon on its new building on Aug. 17.
John Dickerson, director of marketing for Butler Enterprises, said the deal with Burlington had been in the works for a while. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed down talks between the businesses, but now they’ve made the deal.
Burlington has a location in Gainesville at the Gainesville Plaza off of NW 13th Street. Dickerson said this new location sprang from the success of the other store.
“Their location has been doing pretty well so they were looking to expand further into the Gainesville market by coming to the west side of Gainesville,” Dickerson said in a phone interview.
He said the Burlington, nestled between Boot Barn and Michaels, will continue Butler’s plan for a one-stop-shop for all customer needs.
“I think it’s going to be a good match,” he said.
Butler Enterprises also announced that women’s retailer Athleta will open a store at Butler Town Center across from The Cheesecake Factory in November, and Jeremiah’s Italian Ice will hopefully start selling its gelati in October at Butler Esplanade.
Dickerson said new talks with businesses have restarted, and UF’s return to campus plus football season has impacted Butler’s properties.
“Foot traffic wise, we’re seeing the levels that we were before COVID so we’re definitely happy over here,” Dickerson said.