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Beloved Bearss Groves Fruit Market reopens after hurricane damage forced closure

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Published  February 1, 2025 1:29pm EST
Tampa
FOX 13 News

Bearss Groves Fruit Market reopens.

FOX 13's Jordan Bowen went to the re-opening of Bearss Groves Fruit Market in Tampa.

The Brief

    • The Bearss Groves Fruit Market is now open after hurricane damage forced it to close.
    • The markets try to offer affordable pricing for fresh fruit and vegetables. 

TAMPA - For years, The Bearss Groves Fruit Market has been a staple in Tampa, but damage from the hurricanes caused major setbacks. It's been closed for the last few months, but now it's under new management and re-opening to the community.

The Bearss Groves Fruit Market in Tampa has deep roots in the community that span decades.

"I've been coming here since the kids were little. They're now in their late 20s and this is a community staple," customer Chrissy Hymiak said.

The Bearss Groves Fruit Market reopened after hurricane damage forced it to close.

Hymiak is just one of the several hundred customers who came out on Saturday to find fresh fruits and vegetables. 

It's something that hasn't been possible since October. That's when the hurricanes wiped out several trees, damaged multiple coolers and destroyed all of their produce, forcing them to temporarily close.

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It was a major hit for owner Barry Lawrance, who's been working here since he was 13. He eventually bought it from the previous owners in 2012.

Along with the damage to the market, Lawrance's strawberry fields up the street were flooded, costing thousands of dollars in losses. It was so overwhelming for Lawrance, he decided to find new management to help get the market back up and running.

"It was probably coming to the realization that I can't do it anymore. It's probably the main thing we needed help in. So people just came in a place that were willing to do it for us," Lawrance said.

The Bearss Groves Fruit Market reopened after hurricane damage forced it to close.

For the last few weeks, the new management has been making the needed repairs to get back to operating again. This weekend, the market officially re-opened.

"I love this business venture. I love that my friends are here by my side. It's amazing that Barry's here helping. He's been here. He was here yesterday for half the day, and he was here today. He wants this place to thrive. I want this place to thrive. The community clearly wants this place to strive," manager Marta Zarobkiewicz said.

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The markets try to offer affordable pricing for fresh fruit and vegetables. 

"I didn't go get any produce this week when I was grocery shopping because I knew I was going to come here today. I'm so happy that it's reopened," Hymiak said.

Starting in March, the artisan market will be open every 1st and 3rd Saturday. The farmstand is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jordan Bowen.

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