Nearby Construction Not Stopping Bearss Groves

Barry Lawrance began working at Bearss Groves when he was 13 years old.

As a teenager growing up in the Northdale area, it was a great gig for a kid who wanted to be outside and who loved working the land.

Through the years, he did it all; from helping pick oranges right off the trees to selling fruit to customers who drove to the 14316 Lake Magdalene Blvd. produce stand from all over the region, including Carrollwood, Lutz and North Tampa.

Now, Lawrance and his wife, Courtney, own the business.

Barry first bought the Bearss’ juice business back in the late 1990s with a partner. Not too long ago, he bought the retail end of the business, including the land on which the Bearss Groves produce stand sits at the corner of Bearss Avenue and Lake Magdalene Boulevard.

Lawrance, however, didn’t buy the land next door to the retail location where an orange grove once stood. That property stayed with the Bearss family, which had owned and worked the land since the late 1800s.

It’s what’s happening to that former orange grove land now that has customers a little confused. The property has been bulldozed to make way for single-family homes. Bearss Groves, however, is still open for business.

“(It’s) a little confusing to people,” explained Courtney, adding that customers have contacted her expressing concerns the store was going away. The Lawrances have also heard from customers who are upset the grove land was sold and is now being developed.

The Lawrances, who live in Lutz, want customers to know the produce business is still alive and well and that they didn’t sell the grove property.

“It wasn’t ours to sell,” explained Barry.

Local Roots Run Deep

While Bearss Groves is no longer owned by the Bearss family, Barry Lawrance has been a fixture in the business – and the community – for years.

He grew up in the Northdale and Carrollwood areas. He’s a graduate of Gaither High School and the University of South Florida. And, he still grows fresh fruit and produce on land near the produce store and in Lutz.

He’s also adamant about supporting local growers through his business. The fruits and vegetables sold at Bearss Groves are almost without exception from local farms. Produce that has to come in from other locations is generally purchased from farms the business has worked with for years. The Georgia peaches offered in season, for example, have been purchased from the same farmer for nearly two decades, Barry said with pride.

Buying and selling locally is a philosophy the Lawrances take to heart.

“We’re a small business,” Courtney said. “When you spend your money with a small business, the money goes directly into the community.”

One Era Ends, Another Continues

Like many of their customers, the Lawrances are sad to see the groves gone. They were, after all, a fixture on Bearss Avenue for years – long before county buildings, subdivisions and four-lane roads were the norm.

“I grew up here,” Barry said. “I watered the trees, picked the trees by hand. We played in the orange groves.”

While development continues to close in on Bearss Groves, Barry made this promise: “We’re not going anywhere.”

The sign out front even confirms it.

Bearss Groves is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Customers will find a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and other products for sale.

For more information, visit Bearss Groves on Facebook.

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