Town squares in The Villages have become ghostly as Coronavirus closings have spread beyond restaurants.
Starbucks, at the heart of Lake Sumter Landing, has shut down “temporarily” and the exterior tables and chairs have been removed. Villagers in search of a Sunday Frappuccino were disappointed to find a note on the door at Starbucks, to find they are “working to re-open our store as quickly as possible.”
Next door, the Dana Tyler jewelry store has also closed due to fears of the spread of the Coronavirus. The Dana Tyler corporate office made a decision to close the stores across the country and customers are being encouraged to shop online.
Even Properties of The Villages, which provides the lifeblood of home sales, on Saturday made the decision to close its doors to foot traffic. A representative of Properties of The Villages was manning a table Sunday morning at the office at Lake Sumter Landing.
One of the few survivors at the square is Panera, which had bright signs at the door letting passersby know they are open for business, even if it’s only takeout.
Spring break usually brings families and grandchildren to Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. Easter is on the horizon and usually marks the annual peak of grandchildren in The Villages. However, there is no foreseeable opportunity for grabbing an ice cream with the grandchildren at Haagen-Dazs at Lake Sumter Landing or Kilwins at Spanish Springs Town Square. Both have temporarily closed their doors.
“We will be closed until this crisis ends,” reads a sign on the door at Kilwins.
Although Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decree closing restaurant still permits take-out service, many at Spanish Springs Town Square apparently don’t see that as a viable option.
Amerikano’s Grille, McCalls Tavern, Margarita Republic and World of Beer all have signs up indicating they will be closed anywhere from two weeks until April 1.
The opportunity to grab a warm bag of popcorn at any of the Citizens First Bank locations ended last week when the bank announced its switch to drive-up service and the closing of its lobbies.
Chico’s, Soma and other shops at Spanish Springs Town Square are also closed.
Meanwhile, the eerily Maoist AM-640 WVLG plays from speakers at the squares, praising the warm sunny weather and the oldies.
Live music at the squares ended this past Tuesday.
