Green Turtle in Indian Harbour Beach has been sold; here's what the future holds

Let's get right to it and put some truth behind the rumors.

Yes, the Green Turtle Market in Indian Harbour Beach sold on Jan. 8 for $2. 3 million to a developer. Owner Jamie Dwight would not say who bought the property, and he doesn't know the plans for it.

No, the market isn't closing this weekend. It will remain open for several more weeks, Dwight said.

Court records show the property was sold to MHW Beachside LLC.

State corporate records show the MHW was formed in December with Myles H. Wilkinson and Courtney W. Gatesman listed as managers of the company. Both are also officers of the Corporate Property Group, a commercial real estate company that shares the same Melbourne address as MHW Beachside.

The gourmet market will host its final wine dinner Friday. The sold-out event will feature original Green Turtle owner Tim Dwight as speaker.

Having Tim as part of the dinner brings the business full circle: "For him and for me," Jamie said.

Tim Dwight and Ercan Ekinci opened the market on Eau Gallie Boulevard in 2000. It quickly became a beachside gathering place. While Ekinci handled the food and catering portion of the business, Tim Dwight oversaw the wine side, training to become a Certified Wine Educator and Sommelier.

In 2005, the Grapevine Cafe was added to the east end of the building. A few years ago, the building was expanded again to make room for fresh vegetables and more grocery items.

Ekinci sold his portion of the business to Tim Dwight in 2019. He opened Urban Prime Marketplace + Restaurant in Viera in October. Tim sold the business to his brother and retired in January 2022.

More about the Green Turtle: Owner and founder of Green Turtle in Indian Harbour Beach retires after 22 years

Jamie Dwight had been running Florida Air Academy, a military boarding school started by their father Jonathan Dwight in 1961, since the mid-1990s. The school, now Florida Preparatory Academy, was sold to California-based investment company Newopen USA in 2017.

He began working at the Green Turtle in 2019.

Jamie, who partnered with his son Paul in the business, said he's proud of the market and its staff. Selling had nothing to do with the state of the business.

"This is not a distress sale," he said.

Dwight said he's received offers for the property since he bought it. He never considered those offers until recently.

But the cost of doing business has risen drastically in recent years. Insurance has doubled. Payroll has increased 40% in the past two years. To keep up and maintain the standard for which the Green Turtle has become known would have taken a five-year commitment and a lot of capital, he said.

As he approaches his 64th birthday, Dwight said he's ready to travel with his wife. He studied theater at Columbia, and he wants to get more involved with Cocoa Village Playhouse, where he serves on the board of directors. He won't say he's going to retire. He plans to remain active in the community, but he's ready for a change.

"I've been a CEO for more than 30 years," he said.

The Grapevine Cafe will close after Friday's wine dinner, and catering jobs scheduled for the coming months have been canceled and deposits refunded. Dwight said the market will remain open for at least a couple of months until the majority of the wine and dry goods in stock have been sold.

The Green Turtle employs about 50 people, and a third of those already have new jobs, he said. He feels confident the others will be able to find work in the next two months.

"It's a great crew," he said.

Dwight said it was a tough decision to close the business his brother started more than two decades ago.

"But it was the right decision. Change happens," Dwight said. "I'm proud of what we've done, but I didn't want to see degradation of the business."

Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at sleonard@floridatoday.com. Find her on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard. John McCarthy contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Green Turtle Market in Brevard to close by spring 2024