Viera is one of the fastest growing communities in central Florida, growing at a rate of over 2% per year. We have a 15-minute drive population of over 100,000. 73% of this population is considered white-collar, with an average household income of over $100,000 and a median disposable income of $67,505. The average Viera household spends $6,000 annually on groceries, and $4,000 on dining out and $3,700 in entertainment. However, a large percentage of those funds are spent outside of our community. 

In a causal undocumented poll of residents, nearly 100% said that they would love to spend more money on nicer things like dining and entertainment, in the community.

The difficulty with being a new and up and coming community is that the many of the desired retailers don’t want to place their bets on future communities. They (understandably) look for bigger markets, such as Orlando, West Palm, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, and Jacksonville where they have a larger population to serve. However, places like the Villages and Winter Park have proven that when the community is interested, fine dining and entertainment can be very successful… especially when there is no competition 

The goal of this petition is simple. It is to show Coopers Hawk, that Viera and the supporting area will support fine dining and entertainment, with hopes that they will consider opening a restaurant in the new lakefront development called Barrows West.