IKEA will open its Sarasota store Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 10 a.m. at 147 N. Cattlemen Road in University Town Center's West District.

The confirmed date, first reported by Sarasota Magazine, ends months of waiting. IKEA had originally targeted a late-summer debut when it announced the Sarasota location in April.

The 48,000-square-foot store will be a smaller format than the warehouse-style locations in Tampa and elsewhere in Florida. It is the company's sixth store in the state.

On opening day, hours run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Starting Thursday, Nov. 19, the store shifts to regular daily hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to IKEA's Sarasota store page.

Shoppers will find more than 5,000 products on display. More than 3,000 items, including accessories, lighting, textiles and over 100 small furniture pieces, will be available to buy and carry home the same day, according to an IKEA press release issued in April. Larger pieces such as sofas and beds can be ordered in-store or online for pickup or home delivery. There is no self-serve furniture warehouse.

The store includes furnished room settings, a central planning area where staff offer one-on-one design consultations for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and small spaces, and a food counter called the Swedish Bite. The counter serves IKEA staples such as meatballs, plant balls, hot dogs, veggie dogs and cinnamon buns for dining in or taking home.

Rob Olson, interim CEO of IKEA U.S., said in the April press release that the Sarasota store "builds on our broader efforts to meet customers where they are." Laetitia Gouverneur, market manager for IKEA Tampa, called Sarasota "a growing area with a strong sense of community" in the same release.

The store sits between DSW and Golf Galaxy in UTC's West District, according to Your Observer reporting. Benderson Development, which owns University Town Center, has said more than a dozen new businesses are opening in the retail district, occupying over 86,000 square feet combined.

IKEA's other Florida stores are in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville and Sunrise.