News

Florida restaurant transforms into digital farmer's market

iStock

March 24, 2020

Naked Farmer, a fast casual restaurant that had planned to open next month in Tampa Bay, is delaying its restaurant opening date and is launching a digital farmer's market on its website and UberEats with local pickup and free delivery, Jordan Johnson, founder of Naked Farmer, said in a company press release.

"We were planning on opening the restaurant on April 1 but once COVID-19 hit, we decided to make a fast pivot to be as helpful to our community as possible," he said. "At a time when canned beans are flying off grocery store shelves, we believe people need access to real, safe, healthy food to keep their immunity and their spirits high." 

With this digital farmer's market, consumers in the Tampa Bay area will be able to order locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients to their doors.

"We have spent the last several months building relationships with local farmers in order to create a sustainable, local supply chain," said Johnson, who believes this is the best way to innovate amidst a crisis. "Farmers have a surplus of produce, meat, and more products that are piling up as we speak, as they lost the avenue of selling in local farmers markets and restaurants. Rather than letting this food go to waste, eliminating profit entirely for farmers, Naked Farmer pivoted and stepped in to connect the supplier with the end-user — consumers —  in a time where food, particularly fresh food, is in more demand than ever.

Pick up locations for the digital farmer's market are 200 Central Avenue Saint Petersburg and 302 E Kennedy Blvd Tampa with delivery zones reaching across the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg Metropolitan area.

"With dine-in restaurants going dark, farmers were faced with a lot of produce that we didn't have a solution for," said Joe Planz, Owner of Providence Cattle in Tampa. "The model Naked Farmer has come up with truly alleviates the financial burden and food waste that was inevitable if no alternative was found."

Read more about the coronavirus effect on the restaurant industry.