Del’s 24 closes, set to be bought with rest of center by Collier County

A Collier County staple is no more after over 55 years in business, but its name will live on.

The beloved Del’s 24-Hour Food Store in Collier County officially closed its doors in August about a year after the owner Del Ackerman’s death. But the community landmark has a bright future with Collier County set to redevelop the property it sits on.

“It’s sad to see it go because it does hold so many memories for my family,” Jodi Goggil said.

The shelves in Del’s 24 sits empty, but Goggil remembers it full of life.

“It was a ‘Hey Fred. Hey, John. Hey, Sally.’ Everybody knew everybody that was coming and going, and it was a family atmosphere,” Goggil said.

Goggil was one of many kids who spent several days a week at Del’s.

“I remember it was kind of like an adventure,” Goggil said. “There was always an adventure to do at Del’s.”

But the adventure has come to an end one year after the death of Ackerman, as Collier County prepares to buy the shop and the surrounding properties. It’s part of a longtime redevelopment plan for the Bayshore Gateway Triangle Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

For Nick Malliyaris, it’s bittersweet.

“It really hurts having to let the employees go,” Malliyaris said. “I really miss the community. Times have changed. And you know the CRA here really wanted to be able to make this more a part of the community.”

It’s not clear what the county will do with the shop. But whatever it becomes, it will still carry Del Ackerman’s name.

The county hopes to close on the sale in the next few months, and Ackerman’s loved ones hope his legacy will live on.

“He was quite a guy, very much loved, helped a lot of people,” Malliyaris said. “He paid for some employees that had passed away. He paid for their funerals.