ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida is raving over a new supermarket in Orange County.
This grocery store opening is not your average Publix celebration. The family-owned Presidente Supermarket recently opened its first Central Florida location at the corner of Pine Hills and Silver Star roads in Orlando.
Here are five reasons why having a Presidente Supermarket location is a big deal.
1. Purpose behind the produce
This isn’t your everyday grocery store. Presidente is a privately-owned business run by a Cuban American family that started the enterprise nearly 30 years ago. The purpose is to bring that Caribbean flair into your grocery store, without necessarily becoming a specialty market. This family business was built on providing the highest quality produce at prices working-class families can afford. It was made by and for the working class, and the owners have a lot of pride in that.
2. Products you can’t find anywhere else
Sure there’s the ethnic food aisle at other grocery stores, but imagine a whole store full of them. A mountain of Goya products is just scratching the surface. This supermarket keeps specialty foods in stock. I’m talking products and food you can only find in Haiti, Central America and Caribbean islands. For immigrants and families who have roots elsewhere, they can purchase a piece of home without spending too much or going too far.
3. So close you can taste it
This is one of the only Latin-based supermarkets in all of Central Florida. The next Presidente location is almost 200 miles away in West Palm Beach, with no competitors in a 10-mile radius from this new location. The supermarket was established in Miami in 1990, and has grown into a small chain. To have one in Central Florida means there’s a need, and the community is happy that someone is meeting it.
4. Not your average trip to the grocery store
A quick trip to Presidente seems almost impossible with Latin music blasting over the loudspeakers and cashiers acting as if they’re you’re third cousin and you haven’t caught up with since your grandma’s birthday. This family-owned business works to translate family into the shopping experience. Presidente is known for its affordable produce, their workers befriending you as they weigh your food and ring it up. By the end of your trip, you may have enjoyed a cafe con leche and have a new favorite cashier, all because they know how you like your tomatoes bagged and remember where your kids go to school.
5. It’s a Florida thing
Go anywhere else in the country and you won’t find anything like it. Presidente serves customers only in the state of Florida. Beyond the cultures Presidente brings to the state it’s become part of the state’s identity. You can tell too as pineapples always seem to be season and their stores always have a tropical feel. It’s a grocery store unique to the Sunshine State, embedded into Florida culture. Central Florida is just getting an added taste.
If you have other reasons why opening a Presidente Supermarket in Central Florida is a big deal, let us know in the comments.