Tampa grocer to open store in Gasworx development

Duckweed Urban Grocery, the local boutique grocery chain, plans to open a new store in the GasWorx development currently under construction in Tampa.

The store will be in a ground floor retail space in the project’s first completed development, La Unión Residence & Social Hall. Plans call for Duckweed to open later this year.

Duckweed, which already has five stores locally, carries fresh produce, pantry staples, quick meals and artisan goods, along with regional wines, beers and cheeses.

The chain opened its first store in 2011 and was named after the native floating plant that the University of Florida calls in a report the “smallest flowering plant known to botany.”

And that may be an apt description.

Duckweed Urban Grocery’s stores are smaller than traditional grocers, resembling upscale corner markets in major urban centers rather than sprawling Publix-type chain stores most people are accustomed to.

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On average, the company says on its website, its stores range from between 3,000 and 3,500 square feet. The Gasworx space is 2,322 square feet.

Gasworx developers say the chain’s model will work well in the development, which is designed to be an urban center between Ybor City and downtown Tampa.

Graham Tyrrell, managing director in Florida for the developer Kettler, says in a statement that the store is seen as “a cornerstone for the community, reflecting the vibrant, walkable, and convenient lifestyle we’ve always envisioned for Gasworx.”

The development is 50 acres that when completed will include 5,000 new residences as well as 500,000 square feet of office space and more than 140,000 square feet of retail.

La Unión Residence & Social Hall, with about 300 units, was the first residential development completed. Another multifamily community is under construction next to it and expected to be completed by fall 2026.

Duckweed’s store will be just across from it.