The address almost nobody could get.

Plant Street is one of the most fiercely contested commercial corridors in Central Florida. Over the past year, entities linked to outside investors have spent more than $40 million acquiring property in Winter Garden’s historic downtown district, and rising values have pushed out a series of long-standing independent tenants.

32 W. Plant Street was one of those spaces. It had been home to Writer’s Block Bookstore for five years before the lease was terminated as new ownership began reshaping the corridor. While news of the closure spread across social media, a quiet negotiation for the same address was already underway.

The property owner, represented by Millenia Partners CRE, required a non-disclosure agreement that prohibited any mention of the address, including in consultations with the city’s zoning department.

For months, every piece of due diligence had to be conducted around the address rather than through it. There was no listing to respond to and no open-market process to enter.

Cosa Nostra’s real estate story began well before any storefront. In October 2022, the owners were running a food stall inside West End Plaza at 821 W. Minneola Avenue in Clermont: a small footprint, a high-quality product, an authentic Italian identity.

The stall became a proof of concept. The proof of concept became a restaurant, when the brand’s flagship opened at 798 W. Montrose Street in Historic Downtown Clermont in late 2024 to strong community reception. We knew this client from the beginning, which is why we were in position when the second location mattered.

With the concept established and a franchise model in development, the second location was a strategic exercise. The brand needed proven pedestrian traffic, food and beverage compatibility, a strong urban identity, and a destination environment that supports a business built on freshness and experience.

Winter Garden is among the fastest growing cities in Central Florida, with a population now past 50,000. The Plant Street corridor is anchored by two demand drivers: the West Orange Trail, a 22-mile multi-use path drawing an estimated 150,000 visitors per month, and the Winter Garden Farmers Market, held every Saturday with 3,000 to 5,000 weekly attendees.

32 W. Plant Street sits at the center of it, steps from the trail and surrounded by independently owned restaurants, breweries, and boutiques, with consistent foot traffic seven days a week.

Cosa Nostra Italian Deli signed the lease at 32 W. Plant Street with no public listing and no open-market competition. The second location is expected to open in late 2026, while the flagship remains at 798 W. Montrose Street in Clermont.