The Winn-Dixie at Bird Ludlam Shopping Center closed Aug. 2 after 66 years as a grocery anchor for Coral Gables and South Miami shoppers. The store at 6770 Bird Rd. will become an Aldi, part of a wave of conversions reshaping grocery options across Miami-Dade County.
The closure was first reported by the Miami Herald. No opening date has been set for the new Aldi. Conversions of this type take about a year to complete, based on the timeline at other Florida locations.
The store first opened in 1960 as a Kwik Chek, an early Winn-Dixie brand. The location underwent a remodel and produce department update as recently as August 2018.
In its final days, shoppers picked the shelves clean at 40% off.
What shoppers stand to lose and gain under Aldi
Residents who relied on the Bird Road store will lose its in-store pharmacy and hot food counter when Aldi takes over, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Aldi carries a more limited product selection than a traditional Winn-Dixie. But the discounter says its prices run up to 35% cheaper than competitors, and its arrival could pressure nearby Publix locations to lower prices or offer more promotions.
The footprint will also shrink. A typical Aldi occupies 19,000 to 22,000 square feet, compared with the 40,000- to 52,000-square-foot layouts standard to Winn-Dixie stores, according to Grocery Dive data cited by Hoodline. That gap could leave the Bird Ludlam landlord with more than 20,000 square feet of extra retail space to fill with new tenants.
A countywide pattern of Winn-Dixie-to-Aldi conversions
At least seven Winn-Dixie locations in Miami-Dade are on the Aldi conversion list. The Sunset West store at Sunset Drive and 87th Avenue, which serves South Miami shoppers, began its conversion in 2025 and is nearing completion. The California Club store on Ives Dairy Road closed in May.
The closures trace back to March 2024, when Aldi bought Winn-Dixie's parent company, Southeastern Grocers. A group led by CEO Anthony Hucker and C&S Wholesale Grocers bought the company back in February 2025, but Aldi retained roughly 220 Winn-Dixie and Harveys locations to convert by 2027, including 162 in Florida.
Meredith Hurley, Winn-Dixie's senior director of communications and community, told the Miami Herald in early August that all associates at the Bird Road location received advance notice. "Associates will have the first opportunity to apply for roles at the new Aldi," Hurley said.
Aldi opened more than 60 new and converted stores in Florida in 2025 and about 20 more through May 2026, bringing its statewide total to 314 as of May. The chain plans to convert approximately 80 more Winn-Dixie and Harveys locations across the Southeast in 2026 alone.
When Bird Road shoppers might see a new store open
As of mid-August, no building permits for the Bird Road conversion had appeared in Miami-Dade's online permit records. The Sunset West location's roughly year-long timeline offers the closest local benchmark for when shoppers might see the new store open.
