TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Frutas Frescas Draws Fans

ADVERTISEMENT

By ANGELA DELGADO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 3, 2007

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - Distance is not a deterrent for Vincent 'Larry' Savage and his family when it comes to the treats at Frutas Frescas.

The Land O' Lakes residents like to travel every month to the small Latin dessert shop at 4350 W. Waters Ave. for their dose of fruit salad, the house specialty. It is made of nine types of fruit, granola, cheese, coconut, secret Frutas Frescas cream, condensed milk and blackberry cream.

'We come here, and we visit Colombia for a few minutes,' said Savage, who goes with his wife, Lizzy, and daughter, Nicol, 7. 'It's the best fruit salad in Tampa.'

The family accidentally found the shop four years ago, before it was owned by Ines Bolanos and Rodolfo Orozco. The husband and wife team purchased the shop nine months ago, Bolanos said, when the previous owners expressed the wish to sell.

The shop is popular with people of all nationalities who come in for natural juices made from exotic fruits, frozen fruit bars and Latin treats such as cholados - a beverage made with different fruit, chunks of ice and condensed milk. The shop also offers hot dogs, sandwiches and Latin baked goods.

Vilma Palacios of Town 'N Country walked out of Frutas Frescas on a recent afternoon carrying a cup of cholado. The Costa Rican native visits at least every weekend for the cholado, fruit salad or banana split.

The 'banana split - they don't sell it anywhere,' she said. 'It's like the kind they make' in Costa Rica.

For Liz Ortiz of Town 'N Country, it's all about the coconut or tamarind ice cream.

'We try to make it at least once a month for her need,' said Town 'N Country resident Carlos Baez, who accompanied Ortiz to the shop.

The shop owners are Hispanic, 'so obviously they understand the prices, the people and what they like,' he said.

The shop, which neighbors a Latin bakery, a Latin restaurant and Latin grocery store, is the first shop the Bolanos have owned. It mainly appealed to her because it came with fans, she said.

Fans such as Savages, Palacios, Ortiz and Baez.
FRUTAS FRESCAS
LOCATION: 4350 W. Waters Ave.

PHONE: (813) 885-6896

HOURS: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday thru Saturday; 11 a.m. thru 6 p.m. Sundays

OFFERINGS: natural fruit juices, natural frozen juice bars, fruit salad and ice cream

Reporter Angela Delgado can be reached at (813) 865-1501 or adelgado@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT