Community welcomes soft opening of A Bit of Bailey’s
In 1899, Bailie and Calli Johnson’s great-grandfather — Frank Bailey — founded Bailey’s General Store on Sanibel. On Aug. 16, the sisters and their father, Richard Johnson, unlocked the doors to A Bit of Bailey’s — the island’s new grocery store and market at Sanibel-Captiva Road and Rabbit Road.
At 9 a.m., with a handful of residents in attendance for the soft opening, Richard Johnson informally addressed the gathering inside A Bit of Bailey’s.
“Finally, we’re at a stage where I can invite people in,” he said. “Look down. This is the same floor we had in the big store.”
Attendees grinned in recognition at the piece of Bailey’s General Store that once was. The former store, located at Tarpon Bay Road and Periwinkle Way, was substantially damaged by Hurricane Ian in September 2022. The remaining structure was demolished and the lot that housed Bailey’s is currently empty, aside from a few boom lifts parked within security fencing.
The family plans to rebuild the main store on the site.
“This new space will help fund the rebuild,” Bailie Johnson said. “But for now, we’re just taking plans a day at a time.”
She and her sister said they were happy to be able to help local shoppers once again.
“It’s not really just A Bit of Bailey’s,” Calli Johnson said. “It is a whole lot of Bailey’s.”
Richard Johnson said his family have loaded 4,000 to 5,000 cases of goods into the refrigerators and onto the shelves inside the new store.
“We’ve tried to invoke the old Bailey’s,” he said. “And we have some new treats, too.”
Johnson said he is excited about the ice cream selection, which now includes Yoder’s Southern Creamery. The old fashioned premium ice cream is made locally in Sarasota. Additionally, the coffee bar Bailey’s was formerly known for is nearly complete inside the new location. The family expects they will be brewing lattes and serving drinks-to-order within the next three weeks.
Sanibel resident Dave Scheiber started visiting the island in 1974.
“Bailey’s is my go-to place,” he said. “I am just so happy this store has reopened. I always enjoy speaking with the employees, and I cannot wait for the coffee bar to be up and running.”
Within minutes of welcoming customers, Richard and Calli Johnson stepped behind the cash registers as they have done so many times before. While the space is different, many of the faces are familiar.
One attendee asked what the hours would be for A Bit of Bailey’s.
“We’ll be open when I get here and closed when I leave,” Richard Johnson said.
“There were a lot of logistics just to get here,” Bailie Johnson added. “We had to take out walls and add plumbing. So, today, we just appreciate that this is where we are and we can start collecting revenue.”
Throughout the morning, the family posed for a handful of pictures. In each moment, it seemed, they honored the past as they pursued a new era, providing high quality groceries and maintaining a personalized experience.
A Bit of Bailey’s is at 975 Rabbit Road, Sanibel.