Fresco y Más is an authentic Hispanic grocery chain established in June 2016 in Hialeah, Florida. The banner was created by Southeastern Grocers to serve Hispanic customers and has grown into a regional operator focused on delivering an authentic shopping experience tailored to Hispanic and Caribbean communities in Florida. Compared to parent banner Winn-Dixie, Fresco y Más carries a larger selection of international products and specialty brands, with stores featuring bakeries offering Hispanic desserts and cafes serving sandwiches, coffees, pastries, and juices.
Soon after opening, additional Winn-Dixies were converted to the Fresco y Más banner, including in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Lehigh Acres, Orlando, and Tampa. The chain operates exclusively in Florida, with locations concentrated in South, Central, and Southwest regions. Fresco y Más stores feature a bakery with a wide selection of Hispanic desserts and a cafe, positioning the banner as a community-focused retailer rather than a conventional discount grocer. A small number of Fresco y Más stores feature pharmacies and several locations have adjacent liquor stores, most inherited from Winn-Dixie.
History
The first Fresco y Más location opened on June 15, 2016 in Hialeah, Florida. In June 2016, Southeastern Grocers converted a Winn-Dixie location in Hialeah, Florida to Fresco y Más, featuring an expanded Hispanic product assortment, a full-service Latin butcher shop, and Cocina. In December 2016, an additional five Winn-Dixie locations in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties were converted to the Fresco y Más banner. In March 2017, Southeastern converted another five Winn-Dixie locations throughout Miami and Hialeah to the Fresco y Más brand. In celebration of Fresco y Más’ first anniversary in June 2017, another seven Winn-Dixie locations were converted in Miami, Hialeah, and Hollywood, including the banner’s first Broward County store, bringing the total to 18.
On March 15, 2018, Southeastern Grocers announced they would file a plan of reorganization under Chapter 11 by the end of March, and the restructuring would decrease overall debt levels by over $500 million. In 2018, the Fresco y Más in West Palm Beach, Florida closed as part of Southeastern Grocers’ 2018 bankruptcy. During its recovery, Fresco y Más partnered with Shipt in 2019 to offer same-day delivery services in South Florida and the Tampa and Orlando areas. Southeastern Grocers unveiled the 26th location of its popular Hispanic grocery store, Fresco y Mas, which opened in Lauderhill, Florida on December 5. The store was the first Fresco y Mas location to put a strong emphasis on serving Caribbean as well as Hispanic customers.
In 2022, the Fresco y Más location in Orlando, Florida, closed down due to underperformance. In 2021, a Harveys Supermarket in Tampa, Florida and a Winn-Dixie in Deltona, Florida, were converted to the Fresco y Más banner (the Deltona location has since closed in 2025). In late 2023, Southeastern Grocers announced a strategic restructuring involving its entire business portfolio. In March 2024, Aldi Süd purchased Southeastern Grocers and announced they were converting some Winn-Dixie and Harveys locations to Aldi; Fresco y Más was spun off into its own company and sold to a private equity firm, now known as Fresco Retail Group, LLC. Southeastern Grocers Inc. announced January 25 it completed the sale of the Fresco y Más grocery store chain to an investment group called Fresco Retail Group LLC.
Operations & Footprint
Fresco y Más is an American grocery store chain previously headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, with locations primarily in south Florida. The chain operates exclusively in Florida, with stores concentrated in South, Central, and Southwest regions of the state. Fresco Retail Group has taken control of the chain, which encompasses 28 stores located in the southern, central and southwestern portions of Florida. A small number of Fresco y Más stores feature pharmacies and several locations have adjacent liquor stores (most were inherited from Winn-Dixie).
Fresco y Más is a Private company. Fresco Retail Group was founded in 2023 and is headquartered in Coral Gables, FL. Following the divestiture from Southeastern Grocers, Amerant Bank led the financing of a $120 million loan to Fresco Retail Group, LLC, an investment group strategically focused on food and grocery, for the acquisition of Fresco y Más from Southeastern Grocers Inc. Although Southeastern Grocers no longer owns Fresco y Más, they continue to provide support to the chain, providing promotional materials and continuing to sell SE Grocers branded products.
Products, Services & Merchandising
Fresco y Más carries a larger selection of international products and specialty brands compared to Winn-Dixie; stores feature a bakery with a wide selection of Hispanic desserts and a cafe with sandwiches, coffees, pastries, juices, and more. The chain carries fresh seafood, specialty meat cuts including goat and oxtail, island produce like jackfruit and root vegetables, as well as Caribbean spices, snacks and beverages. Stores have a prepared food section serving a variety of Caribbean dishes like jerk chicken and goat stew, and a cafe serving authentic Caribbean and Hispanic breakfast items like croquettes, Jamaican patties, pastries, drinks, and hot and cold sandwiches.
Initially, Fresco y Más sold Winn-Dixie’s private label products as Winn-Dixie’s distribution centers supplied products to Fresco y Más stores; in 2018, the SE Grocers brand was introduced and replaced the Winn-Dixie branded products. Fresco y Más shares some features found in Harveys Supermarkets, including the $1 Zone (now the $ Zone) and the yellow “Down Down” decor (Fresco y Más stores use bilingual signage).
In terms of digital services, Southeastern Grocers Inc. partnered with Shipt for online grocery delivery at its Fresco y Mas division in Florida, with same-day delivery service available across the banner’s stores throughout South Florida, Tampa and Orlando. The partnership made Fresco y Mas one of the first Hispanic grocers to offer grocery delivery to Hispanic and Caribbean customers in metro markets across Florida, with delivery offerings such as hot, prepared items from the grocer’s cocina (kitchen).
Competitive Landscape
Fresco y Más operates in Florida’s competitive Hispanic grocery market, which includes established regional players and national chains with Hispanic-focused formats. The banner faces competition from dedicated Hispanic retailers and broader discount grocers expanding their ethnic product selections. Publix’s Sabor format has been slower to grow, while dedicated competitors like Sedano’s pose a formidable challenge. The move toward independent ownership under Fresco Retail Group allows the chain to maintain its distinct cultural identity and community focus in a market where tailored assortments and authentic product offerings are key differentiators.
Recent Developments & Outlook
In March 2024, Aldi Süd purchased Southeastern Grocers and announced they were converting some Winn-Dixie and Harveys locations to Aldi; Fresco y Más was spun off into its own company and sold to a private equity firm, now known as Fresco Retail Group, LLC. This move was done to prevent Aldi from converting any Fresco y Más locations; in addition, it also allowed Fresco y Más to continue operating its pharmacies (by contrast, Aldi’s acquisition of Winn-Dixie/Harveys resulted in those chains’ pharmacies closing). Southeastern Grocers Inc. announced January 25 it completed the sale of the Fresco y Más grocery store chain to an investment group called Fresco Retail Group LLC.
Fresco Retail Group, LLC remains committed to maintaining the current operations of all supermarkets and liquor stores under the Fresco y Más banner. Under new ownership, the chain continues to focus on serving Hispanic and Caribbean communities throughout Florida with culturally relevant product assortments and authentic store experiences. The chain’s transition to independent ownership positions it to operate autonomously while maintaining its specialized market positioning and community ties that have defined its growth since 2016.
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