JACKSONVILLE, FL—From an evolving restaurant scene to specialty grocers, Jacksonville's retail market is finding new niches. But what's going to have the biggest impact on Jacksonville's retail landlords in the near future?

We caught up with Collis McGeachy, a vice president with CBRE's Jacksonville office, to get his take on this topic. You can still read the first half of this exclusive interview: Jacksonville Retail: Where Do We Go From Here?

GlobeSt.com: What changes are going on in the restaurant market?

McGeachy: There are many restaurants that are very active in the market—some of them are new, like PDQ, which opened up two stores. The Corner Bakery Café is actively looking for a location. Orlando's 4 Rivers Smokehouse just opened its first store in our market and is close to acquiring two more locations. SuperTarget sold its Orange Park location directly across from the Orange Park Mall to Garden Ridge.

GlobeSt.com: Is it a tenants' or landlords' market?

McGeachy: It's been more of a tenants' market over the last couple of years with a lot of vacancy in the big box product—we had a number of 30,000 to 40,000-square-foot vacancies—but a lot of those spaces have been absorbed and backfilled with other retailers. The Regency Square Mall is the only place with a large inventory remaining. Regency Square Mall was dinged really hard by the opening of the St. John's Town Center project to the south and the River City Marketplace on the northside.

GlobeSt.com: Who is the most in-demand retailer in your market? What categories are taking off?

McGeachy: Ross and Marshall's are both very active. The companies are still looking for infill locations in areas they are not serving. Specialty grocers such as Earth Fare, Trader Joe's and Aldi's are coming to the market as well. They are all looking for sites.

GlobeSt.com: What's going to have the biggest impact on Jacksonville retail in the near future?

McGeachy: The St. John's Town Center is really the retail bull's-eye for Jacksonville. New players looking to add one store in our market, that's where they are looking to get in. The owners will be welcoming at least six tenants new to the Jacksonville market in the second half of 2014.

Nordstrom will be opening its first Jacksonville location there later this year and it will have some additional shop space. There is vacant land around the complex that just came on the market which will generate tremendous interest from end users and developers wanting to establish a presence in this trade area.