Farmer Joe’s opens its doors in Cape
One of the most highly anticipated additions to Cape Coral opened its doors Tuesday morning to a massive reception.
Farmer Joe’s, a 55,000-square-foot grocery store touting the freshest produce in the area, welcomed shoppers for its opening as people lined up in anticipation.
The massive red barn is a can’t-miss sight on Pine Island Road where owner Lee Snyder and his nearly 500 employees are all smiles.
“It feels great to open the doors,” Snyder said. “We still have a little ways to go, but I think we’re in a good place.
“Just the looks on (people’s) faces when they first walked in the door, it was amazing. Their jaws were hitting the floor. Everyone was just thrilled.”
Farmer Joe’s and Snyder source the majority of their products from local farms. The highlight of the establishment is the 13,000-square-foot produce section where shoppers can find what is touted as the freshest and highest quality foods in Southwest Florida.
“I can honestly say I don’t know of anybody in the whole state of Florida that has a retail produce department of 13,000 square feet,” Snyder said.
It doesn’t stop there, Farmer Joe’s fresh cut meat case is 48-feet long, their bakery case is also 48-feet long, and the deli from end-to-end is roughly 82 feet.
They will also be the only retail distributor of Bones Coffee in Cape Coral.
Snyder estimates that just 10% of the store features “traditional” yet necessary groceries where you’ll find more brand-named items.
They have a large wine selection as well.
Snyder, who grew up in the Cape and is a graduate of Cape Coral High School, has always been involved in the world of produce. It began as a youth selling on the side of a Cape Coral road, evolving into farmers markets, and eventually, a brick-and-mortar business.
He said growing up in Cape Coral, the options weren’t as plentiful as he’d have wished. Selections included Publix, another Publix, a Winn Dixie, and then another Publix. Walmart eventually came along, but they’re not changing the produce game.
Even before Snyder entered the business side of things, he remembered his mother always going to a local farmer’s market to purchase goods.
During his childhood, Snyder remembers a local gentleman they called “Joe V” who set he and his friends up on the side of the road to sell produce. Snyder he’d set up a makeshift stand, and Joe V would come along two or three times throughout the day to check on them and see how they were doing.
As he got older, Snyder jumped feet first into the produce business, forgoing college and working right away. He built bonds and connections throughout the state as his operation grew.
With the seasonality of Florida, Snyder got in contact with a friend in Delaware and at one point, was operating two produce stores — one in Florida and the other about 1,000 miles north.
“The beauty of it is, the seasons were at opposite ends of the spectrum. There was one point in my life where I had my market here in Florida and then went up north and opened up there. I never had time to take a breather.”
Eventually Snyder closed his shop in Florida, as the Delaware location was a bit more fruitful, so much in fact he was able to take a good chunk of time off.
It was right when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in early 2020 when he purchased the property for what he called “a really good price.” He and two partners, one he says with brains and the other with money, made the magic happen. Snyder’s company GNS Holdings purchased the land for $1.8 million back in 2020 and broke ground on Farmer Joe’s towards the end of that year.
“I always had a vision in my brain that I would reel back a little bit. Instead, I dove in deep,” Snyder said.
The large red barn concept came from his place in Delaware, which resembles what Farmer Joe’s looks like today. The name Farmer Joe’s is an ode to Joe V, the nice man that helped start his journey in Cape Coral decades before.
While the Delaware business was a successful one, Snyder recalls that mid-week could become quite desolate while the weekends were their busy hours. He thought it could be a success to bring their concept to a city that’s growing at a rapid pace each year. A city like Cape Coral.
“This town, always from back in the day, was big into produce,” Snyder said. “It just so happened I get into the produce business. I thought with the growth of Cape Coral, what a better place to put (Farmer Joe’s).”
Products are sourced from farms right here in Southwest Florida. You can grab a tangerine from Nobile Farms in Winter Haven. You can pick up fingerling potatoes from Mack Farms in Lake Wales. There are so many options at Farmer Joe’s that spend minimal time in transport once picked fresh.
“There are all of these awesome local farms that we deal with,” Snyder said. “We’re proud enough of their product to put their name out there. Some we even took pictures with and went out to their farms to hold, touch and feel their products. This comes right from the field to the back door.”
The “back of the house” of Farmer Joe’s is the holding tank for food, not a distribution center.
“That’s what’s going to separate us from the rest,” Snyder said. “Our produce is going to hold up. The longest anything is going to be on a truck for is how long it takes to get to my door directly from the source.”
Snyder wants Southwest Florida to know they are a family-owned operation that is working to bring the best to its residents and help highlight and support other local business.
“Just the feel when you walk through the door, just the vibe – everybody’s smiling and happy,” he said. “The energy is just like no other place you go to. People are going to love to shop here. Even if they’re not buying a lot of stuff, they’ll love the atmosphere.”
Farmer Joe’s is still looking to hire for various positions. For more information on Farmer Joe’s and their employment opportunities, visit www.farmerjoes.com.
Farmer Joe’s is at 1401 Southwest Pine Island Road.
–Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj