Back in the good ol’ days, in smaller rural towns there was typically only one place to buy supplies, or provisions. The store was about much more than just purchasing items; it was a gathering place and a community hub.
If you think about it, it wasn’t that long ago that Lakewood Ranch was rural. So, it seems fairly fitting that Florida Provisions was one of first businesses at Waterside Place town center.
“We thought people would come in and shop a bit, maybe have a beer,” said owner Mark Thomas. “We just had one cooler and four seats at a bar. But it’s turned into a retail store by day and a beer and wine store by night. It’s really cool.”
Florida Provisions has a little bit of everything, and depending on what you are in the mood for, it is nearly impossible to leave without picking up something fun and unexpected. I bought two LWR wine glasses I thought my dad should have for his winter home here. Classy, not kitschy. And that applies to the overall vibe of the store.
“We have a couple of principles that we go by, and number one is, it’s got to be something that we would use in our own life in Florida,”
“We have a couple of principles that we go by, and number one is, it’s got to be something that we would use in our own life in Florida,” said Mark. “So not necessarily from Florida, because that really limits things, especially wine. So we source quality and creativity from all over. And snowbirds come in and get excited when they see things from where they are from.”
I asked Mark to serve me something he loves, and I got to try a Boston IPA, considered one of the best in the country. I went home with a new organic sparkling wine. OK, and a biodynamic (very natural) Pinot Grigio. Admittedly, I had to contain myself and walk away from all the rest of it, including innovative snacks, cute décor, and quality clothing.
“There is so much crap out there, and preservatives—especially in snacks. We really try to find as many clean ingredients as we can [when we choose] chips, queso, and pasta sauces,” said Mark. “We are about to open a kitchen with bar bites, and we are focused on the higher-quality ingredients from many of our vendors at the [LWR Sunday] farmers’ market. We will use Bread Bandits, Red’s Farm, people that do things the way we do.”
And speaking of the Lakewood Ranch Sunday farmers’ market, Florida Provisions sets up a mimosa cart there that is a must try. Crisp, cold bubbles with your choice of freshly squeezed Florida oranges or another juice while you browse fun, local vendors on a beautiful day—yes, please!
Mark admitted Florida Provisions has evolved in a different way than originally planned.
“We thought this would be mostly retail with a little bit of beer and wine. But it’s really a 50/50 split and we just keep expanding the food.”
“We get regulars, we get family in from out of town, and people waiting for dinner. We’ll throw a game up on the screen if that’s what people want. We’re just a local place to hang out and have a good time.”
And for centuries, that has been a recipe for success.
