Construction progresses on Sprouts Farmers Markets in South Tampa, Carrollwood, Palm Harbor (Photos) 

Nov 22, 2016, 2:24pm EST Updated Nov 22, 2016, 2:26pm EST

Ashley Gurbal KritzerSenior ReporterTampa Bay Business Journal

The first Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. (NASDAQ: SFM) stores in Florida are well underway in the Tampa Bay region.

Construction crews are making progress on sites in South Tampa, Carrollwood and Palm Harbor. The only location that Sprouts has confirmed is the Carrollwood store, at 15110 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Carrollwood Commons. But the grocer is named as the tenant in the other locations on multiple public filings.

Sprouts is also named as the tenant that will occupy a redeveloped former Albertsons box in Valrico by a South Florida developer that owns the property.

Known for its organic produce and nutritional supplements, Sprouts has the potential to shake up the Florida grocery market. With a focus on private label products, natural foods and customer service, Sprouts could be compared to a combination of Trader Joe's, Publix Super Markets Inc. and The Fresh Market. But Sprouts has been successful at luring in mainstream grocery shoppers, making it a direct threat to Lakeland-based Publix.

Sprouts announced in mid-November that it will open the store in Carrollwood on Feb. 22, the first store to open in Florida. That location is a former Staples box in a Target-anchored shopping center, across North Dale Mabry Highway from a Publix Super Markets Inc. store.

In Palm Harbor, a former Office Depot box has been redeveloped to make wayfor Sprouts.

The South Tampa store, at 1523 S. Dale Mabry Highway, is the only one of the three that is new construction. The 29,896-square-foot box is under construction on a site that previously housed Palma Ceia Drive-Thru Liquors and several other small businesses.

View the photo gallery for an aerial view of the South Tampa store and progress shots of the stores in Carrollwood and Palm Harbor.

Ashley Gurbal Kritzer is senior reporter for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.