Photo Courtesy of Morgan Rudowicz
By Morgan Rudowicz
TAMPA, Fla. — Totum Market is a fresh, all-organic grocery store that has opened on the outskirts of downtown Tampa. Totum is offering shoppers high-quality products.
At Totum, there is a hot bar that has options of many different types of foods, like handcrafted pizza, and a deli station. There is a cafe and smoothie station that has organic and protein-packed choices.
There are also prepackaged and fully cooked whole foods that include sandwiches, meat, and food that are easy to make at home or for on-the-go.
A member of the team at Totum shared their experience of how working here has been so far.
Jake Rosotto, a worker who has been with the store since Totum opened on Sept. 18, said, “I definitely like how fast-paced it can be. It makes the day go by super quick, and the environment is super good.”
The sound of the employees greeting the shoppers filled the entrance doors. They want to make sure shoppers are getting the help that they may need when they first walk in.
The mission of this market is to give the best quality service. Their focus on being helpful was not overlooked, as they wanted to make this the best experience for the customers.
Another member of the team, Jerrico Callaberro, who was on their first training shift, got the opportunity to talk about this specific location.
“This is a great location; it is an upcoming area, a lot is going on in the city, and this will be a perfect place to have it,” said Callaberro.
Fox News reporter Kylie Jones said, “Some residents say this is another development that helps strengthen downtown Tampa.”
This location is a great choice for the luxurious type of market that it is. When shoppers walk in, it smells clean, and the aisles are lit up so they are able to see all of the items. People who live in the Downtown and Channelside areas of Tampa do not have an all-organic grocery store, so this is a smart addition.
“A new neighborhood grocery store and café is bridging the fast-growing downtown Tampa and Ybor City,” said Jones.
Many people are excited to welcome Totum to the Downtown Tampa area and can’t wait to get higher-quality and natural foods. Totum is surrounded by upcoming apartment complexes and a growing number of gyms and fitness studios. Totum Market is convenient for health-conscious people, as it is a great place to grab smart and healthy meals and snacks.
Jim Mayhew, a reporter for the Tampa Newsroom, said, “The Encore District has seen growth in recent years as developers connect different parts of Tampa. Residents in surrounding apartment buildings can now walk to get food and meals without driving across town.”
Mia Ferrentino, another shopper, is always looking for healthier items as she wants to have more organic and natural foods in her house. She noticed that some of these items were kind of inaccurate in their labeling.
“I am looking for high-quality chicken, but I really only see one brand, and it is Smart Chicken. It makes me not really want to purchase something with that logo and labeling,” said Ferrentino.
She was looking for a certain type of product that did not have a lot of labeling on it, making it seem less natural and having a lot of additives. A lot of the organic items had very similar labeling, which kind of distracted from the actual ingredients on the packaging.
Totum Market is expected to celebrate its grand opening on the weekend of Oct. 10. Totum is expecting everyone to come out and support them by experiencing what this new store has to offer. Coming to the grand opening will bring the community together and give an exciting first look at Totum’s selection of organic, fresh, and unique products that set them apart from other grocery stores.