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Orlando Ikea Opening Is Look At Tampa's Future

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 12, 2007

Updated: 11/12/2007 01:29 pm

Special Report: Check Out Ikea

TAMPA - With only about 48 hours to wait, roughly 25 people are lined up this morning at the entrance to an Ikea store set to open in Orlando on Wednesday.

Joseph Roth, a spokesman for the Swedish company, said that number may swell to several thousand by the time doors open in the 309,000-square-foot store at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

It is a scene that may foreshadow events in Tampa when Ikea opens a store in 2009 that at 353,000 square feet will be Florida's largest. In addition to the Orlando site, Ikea has a store in Sunrise on the east coast.

For anyone contemplating camping out in Orlando, here's what you can expect for the weather.

Monday will be in the high 70s and Tuesday about 80. Overnight the temperature should drop to about 60, with a calm wind. There will be a fair amount of humidity, so expect some fog and heavy dew on the sleeping bag.

The company is offering no specific prizes for the first, second or third person in line, but the first 100 adults will get a free Poang armchair valued at $89.99, and the first 100 children will get a free Faming cushion.

For the first 2,500, the company will give out random gifts that could be a $250 store gift card or a coupon for yogurt, buy one and get one free.

If your birthday is Nov. 14, and you can prove it, you get a $10 gift card.

About 6 a.m. Wednesday, entertainment will begin with musical groups, trampoline demonstrations and wandering jugglers and balloon artists.

At 8:30 flags will be raised, speeches will be made and a log will be cut, a Swedish custom that is supposed to bring good luck to a new home and its guests, Roth said.

The store is on Conroy Road off Interstate 4. Take I-4 to Orlando and take Exit 78 to Conroy Road. The store is 1,500 feet ahead on the right.

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