Smart Move

Sarasota’s Florida Builder Appliance opens its new digs.

By Carol Tisch

Sarasota retailers have been moving around a lot lately, so some consumers are understandably confused. I assumed that was the case last week when a cagey octogenarian insisted that Florida Builder Appliances was holding its grand opening party in the wrong store. The shopper was looking for Ethan Allen, which was right next door. Of course, she may have been sidetracked: Ethan Allen didn’t have executive chef Chris Covelli outside its front door barbecuing up a storm.

Chef Christoper Covelli, of L'Uva on the Road, and Stepahnie Stakely, contract account manager for Whirlpool, outside the new Florida Builder Appliances.

To be fair, Ethan Allen has moved three times in the six years I’ve been living in Sarasota. And you couldn’t see their sign from the Florida Builder store. Ever so gently, I introduced myself as the retail therapist. “Trust me,” I assured. “Just a few more steps and you’ll find your furniture store.” The octogenarian glared and refused to budge. It wasn’t until Chef Chris fed her chicken and ribs that I realized she was the slickest party crasher in town.

Staci Ziccardi, marketing manager, and Ann Kohan, regional business manager of Florida Builder Appliances.

One look at their new digs explains why Florida Builder Appliances swapped out their former showroom (where Ethan Allen is now) for the space that once housed Sofa Express. The new store is double the size. It’s brimming with stunning kitchen vignettes that incorporate state-of-the-art appliances. Ann Kohan, regional business manager, says the idea is to give customers the opportunity to touch and feel the products in actual settings. Best of all, you can replicate anything you like, because every kitchen was built by a local partner: cabinet companies, tile and granite installers, plumbing fixture suppliers, even outdoor kitchen fabricators.

The commando barbecue grill that Chef Chris was demonstrating (KitchenAid’s 48-inch Outdoor Free Standing Grill) was just a prelude to an entire department of grills and built-in outdoor kitchens. Florida Builder Appliance even has a TV hooked up to a CAD system that will display full renderings of outdoor kitchen designs as they would look on your lanai.

To help celebrate the grand opening, reps from some of the most prestigious appliance companies in the world were on hand to meet and greet the crowd of customers. For me and countless other guests, it was a real treat to look, learn and dream. There’s a wall of hip French door refrigerators that extends as far as your eye can see. Wolf, Viking, and Sub-Zero – all the coveted luxury brands are in store.

Miele's built-in coffee system makes perfect latte or espresso by the cup.

Like the built-in Miele Coffee System ($2,600) from which company reps handed out samples of latte and espresso. And fabulous Italian-made ranges from Bertazzoni, a 120-year old company about 90 miles south of Milan. Their old-world Heritage range ($4,800) looks remarkably similar to the pricier La Cornue from France. But Florida Builder has something for every level of the cooking spectrum, including induction ovens from Jen-Aire, one of the hottest sellers in town.

The Old World Heritage gas range from Fratelli Bertazzoni's Heritage system.

The idea of the new store is to give customers the chance to poke, prod and compare the products in real settings and imagine them in their own homes. The new Food Network-quality demonstration kitchen is reason enough to keep coming back to this store.

Florida Builder Appliances, 5249 S. Tamiami Trail, (941) 926-0700 www.floridabuilderappliances.com

Chef Christopher Covelli, L’Uva on the Road, (941) 229-9259 www.chriscovelli.com

Posted: 10/14/2008 8:28:03 AM | 0 comments