The Corner Store

This place is really cute and trendy. Yesterday I ordered half a tomato bisque and half a grilled cheese. The bisque was on point — very tasty. The sandwich was delicious, but was only slightly larger than a credit card. I know I ordered half a sandwich, but I was expecting more than that. My friend ordered the exact same thing as me and her half sandwich was almost twice as large as mine and clearly on a different type of bread. My sandwich did have tomatoes and spinach, but hers did not, even though she ordered them. Also I was offered a side, while she was not and they just gave her chips. Overall the food was good, but there may be some personnel issues there. Not sure if I’ll be back here, unfortunately.

Tried this place out for lunch today based on the great reviews for food and service. I have to say the food, I got the southwest wrap, was very good. However the service was terrible. Placed a to go order for my wrap and sat to wait. Noticed a couple of people that ordered after me had gotten their orders and left so I asked about mine. They checked and the kitchen said they didn’t have my order so it was put through again, came out as dine in so they took it back. After about 5 minutes I inquire about it again and it had been brought and put behind the cashier and didn’t notify me. Service brought this from 5 star to 2.

I’ll keep this quick.
Eat here.
The people working the day I went in are all very nice. The blond taking the orders at the counter was sweet as a spring day and knew the food. It was a pleasure.
The sandwich, I had the Italian, was really great. Try the dandelion soda.
I will be back.

This is my favorite place to eat lunch in Plant City Its in the heart of town and its in a historic building with no frills but the food is always good, fresh and the flavors are so good. All of the sandwiches are good, as is the homemade sangria and soups. Today I had the half & half squash soup & the salmon spread sandwich and neither disappointed me they were delicious. Always nice to support a local business

Great local healthy spot in Plant City. They offer great smoothies and a fruit & cheese platter to die for! The fruit was so fresh with a nice variety, a small soufflé cup of mixed nuts and one of mixed olives and a selection of three cheeses. They also offer various packaged health food selections to go in a retail section. I’ve stopped in for lunch twice now and really enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and very fresh ingredients.

Great spot! Had the South of the Border wrap — but on gluten free bread. It was delicious! The staff were all very nice and the food was quick. The atmosphere was very laid bad, good music and it wasn’t too loud. I liked the bar in front if the windows, great view. I will definitely be back.

WOW, this spot alone left me impressed with downtown Plant City!
From the moment you walk in the vibe they have going on sucks you in, you’ll crave to come back again GUARANTEED. Id say this place was created by a hipster with a vision for a family restaurant that the entire family would get excited about.
They have a small organic produce area for mom, a SUPER COOL kids play area, and little trinkets and gadgets surrounding the picnic benches you’ll enjoy your meal at. Its hard to do justice describing this place. Im tempted to say its something Id imagine walking into in Hoboken, NY?
So bottom line” you have to see it for yourself to understand. Id recommend the Tomato soup, Greek Salad, South of the border wrap and the goat wrap!

I have to admit that what initially drew me to The Corner Store, located in the historic downtown of Plant City, was their bold and memorable motto, the logo it helped create and their brand new brunch menu (only four weeks old) which has consistently included vegan biscuits and gravy.
The motto, EAT WELL OR DIE, represents a number of The Corner Store’s most important philosophies. First and foremost, it signifies the emphasis that The Corner Store places on healthy eating. The shop embraces a slow food philosophy that supports local agriculture and offers fresh alternatives for eating and living. This means that their menu is full of gluten free, vegan, fresh, sustainable, organic and eco-​friendly food items. Another philosophy of the shop is their belief in environmentally friendly actions. The Corner Store uses recycled materials, practices composting, cleans with natural cleaners, and hosts guest speakers and events that are designed to promote a healthy earth. EAT WELL OR DIE, if you aren’t responsible in the way you eat, the chemicals you clean with and how you dispose of your waste, we all die. A third philosophy of the store is their belief in fair wages and safe working conditions. If you pay your employees appropriately, they have the opportunity to eat well. You pay them poorly, they eat poorly which can lead to a whole slew of health related problems later in life.
J-​Fur, Z-​Bot and I visited The Corner Store last Saturday because that’s the day they serve brunch. Aside from being a small café/​restaurant The Corner Store also serves as a coffee/​tea shop, bakery, specialty grocery store, deli and caterer. We skipped all of that, as well as the paper menu at the register, when we entered. We just went straight to the ordering window in back. No offense, but we came for the brunch. This week’s brunch included biscuits and gravy, both vegan and regular, and mixed berry waffles. J-​Fur ordered a waffle and I purchased the vegan biscuits and gravy. From the kids menu we ordered Z-​Bot a grilled cheese sandwich.
The first to arrive was the grilled cheese. Immediately I noticed the pride that the staff takes in their work as the sandwich was beautifully presented. The grill marks were perfectly arranged, the bread flattened in a way that only an expert bread flattener could manage and the cheese filled right up to the edge of the bread spilling just slightly over. The sandwich was served alongside fresh oranges and grapes.
Next to arrive were my biscuits and gravy with chunks of seitan sausage. I’ve had some really awesome experiences with seitan and some not so pleasant ones. On this day I had neither. The seitan sausage didn’t make me oogle with delight nor did it make me cringe. That, to me, is the true sign of a nicely blended dish. If it doesn’t stand out, that is a good thing. The gravy and sausage was layered on thick atop a few biscuits. How was it? Pretty good. It was better than about 85 percent of the food that is specifically labelled vegan in the area. My only minor complaint, it could’ve been a bit warmer. The fresh fruit that was served alongside (watermelon, cantaloupe, orange) had a lot of flavor. It definitely didn’t seem like the kind of fruit I leave the grocery store with. It had too much taste for that.
Our final number was the waffle. The waffle itself was vegan although it was to come with a homemade whipped cream which most likely was not vegan. J-​Fur isn’t into the cream thing so we didn’t even bother to inquire about it, just asked it off. I thought the waffle tasted fine and all but it wasn’t until I added the berry mixture that it really seemed to dazzle. A nice blend of sweet and tart, the berry mixture tickled quite a few of my various tastebuds. J-​Fur detected a hint of lemon and she isn’t that much of a fan of lemon and berries (although she detected lemon tonight in a loaf of sourdough bread so I’m beginning to wonder…).
All in all I was quite pleased with what I ate at The Corner Store. I’m not sure that I would visit at anytime other than brunch considering a lot of their sandwiches have meat or just don’t inspire me. But I will definitely be back for the brunch. I’m hoping that over time it continues to be a popular endeavor and maybe expands to a few other vegan items so I can leave feeling even more stuffed than I did this week. The nice thing, for those of us who live far away, The Corner Store has been posting their brunch menu on their Facebook page a few days in advance so you can make necessary arrangements. This week’s vegan option is a breakfast enchilada with vegan cheese sauce. If it wasn’t for Tampa Veg Fest, I’d probably be making a return trip to give those little Mexican bad boys a whirl.

Loved the atmosphere! The food was amazing! So fresh and nicely plated… Very happy Plant City has this Resturant…

Enjoyed my first experience at the Corner Store, a sustainable organic local grown «slow food, healthy» place. We picked up some unsweetened raw coconut ($ 2) and some ground pumpkin spice ($ 5) ground in store. They also have other grocery products like green tea shaving soap ($ 4). We found many of their prices very high but some great bargains abounded. They had things like hemp, coconut crystals, goji berries. The people were friendly but when we asked twice about product contents in the store, they did not have answers.
We enjoyed a zero calorie root beer (wish there were more zero calorie flavors) and a JoJo’s caramel chocolate pretzel sweet (too much caramel, almost broke our teeth) made by the son/​in house. The sandwiches were coming out luscious looking. Salad sandwich prices were in the $ 8-​$ 10 range and all had yummy «twists». The place had an industrial, coffee house vibe. Pricing was higher than I’d do regularly for lunch.
I didn’t like the pitch for Unilocal at the top of the menu and what appeared to be a «pay-​off» if you «checked in and wrote a review». Some of us can’t check in and would never accept a gift for an «honest» review. Just sayin’…(and while I thought of pulling a star for this, my four-​star rating is based on price, ambiance and a lack of connectivity I had with the place. I’m a fan, but it wasn’t top of the class by my measuring stick.) They may win me over in future visits, love the sustainability slow food concept.

I’ve recently moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Tampa Bay Area and began working in Plant City just last week. This place is a sweet reminder of home; located in a small downtown, delicious food-​the kind foodies enjoy… I mean, I’m currently eating a bowl of Thai coconut something or other soup which is delish! Also got half of the Italian Job which is definitely recommended. Great environment, they also serve beer, sangria, have a plethora of loose leaf tea. Friendly staff that helped me out, even got asked if it was my first time here. I’ll be here more often, that’s for sure!

There is a vegetarian option here.
Surprised?
Friendly little country restaurant with gifts and tea and such that takes you back in time.
Worth a stop by if in the area.
I give it fours stars, due to the Plant City curve.

This place is absolutely adorable. The food is delicious. All natural ingredients. I loved their wraps. I got the turkey, avocado and goat cheese wrap. I would strongly recommend this place. Very clean with an antique feel. Love it!!!

Chicken and goat wrap! Yummmmm
Per some telepathic knowledge sent by the gods, the cooks here recommended that to me, not even knowing that goat cheese is one of my favorite things ever. It was great!
The rest of the store is cute, earthy, an obviously successful hipster paradise in a town where the only other thriving businesses are antique stores and strawberry farms. Not that I don’t love antique hunting and fresh fruit.
I have been here a few times now and have no complaints except for the fact that I always — ALWAYS — get dirty looks and stares from the patrons. Not the employees, they’re great, but the patrons have made me feel uncomfortable on more than one occasion. Maybe it’s because I’m not from the neighborhood? My friend who lives in PC says that is not surprising. Oh well. And also the hours are way too short! They close at 3pm.

This is a love/​annoyance story. I fell in love with The Corner Store as soon as I walked through the door. It’s décor is everything I’d want featured in my restaurant, and my home for that matter. I was visiting a friend in Plant City and for lunch she suggested we order take out from The Corner Store as she has two young children who were sick and shouldn’t be spending time out at a restaurant.
We called at 11:41 and ordered two sandwiches with chips. We were told it would be 30 minutes which was a fine timeframe. We arrived just before the 30 minute mark and my friend was waiting in the car while I ran in to get the food.
Let me tell ya– The Corner Store is cute and actually, the Italian Job sandwich was so so good, but I didn’t leave that place until 12:45, a full HOUR after I had placed the order… for 2 cold sandwiches. The girl in the front told me, unapologetically, that they had the order down for 1pm. Nowhere in our conversation had we said 1pm or been told 1pm. I waited there, irritated beyond belief, until the food was ready. If it wasn’t completely obvious that the cooks were loaded down with orders, I would have flipped. It was clear that the girl who answered the phone and took the order wrote down the wrong pick up time but man, this kind of service (I has to say something twice and then my order was sent back up to the front for me to figure out even though I was standing right at the pick up window) may keep me away indefinitely.

Owned and operated by Joe and Cynthia Diaz, The Corner Store is a testament to the couple’s personal philosophies favoring healthy foods, minimizing environmental impacts and supporting local growers, artists and artisans.
The popular restaurant/​market is a great resource for anyone shopping for organic, locally-​sourced and sustainable foods as well as a great place to simply sit down and devour those same ingredients made into something wonderful by Chef Cynthia.
With its «open pantry» displays of seasonings and ingredients, made-​from-​scratch selections of outstanding soups, sandwiches, salads, smoothies and sweets and interior design that combines natural elements with a clean, architectural style, the combination store/​dining room/​community gathering spot is cozy and comfortable.
Shelves and chilled displays offer seasonal produce, ready-​to-​eat sauces and dips plus and soaps, candles, honey and children’s clothing made by local Plant City residents may also be purchased.
There is a designated children’s play area and space near the entrance where musical groups perform on select Saturdays and special occasions.

I can’t believe that I haven’t been here sooner.
I was forced to take a long lunch break so I drove over to The Corner Store to grab some eats.
The place is such a hidden gem! As soon as you walk in, there is an instant calming effect. Be gone work stress! Inside, the entire place oozes charm from every nook and cranny. There are little picnic tables with wooden chairs and fresh flowers on each table. Vintage pieces of furniture and items are placed around the store. I literally felt like I walked into an explosion of «pinterest» ideas, but they all worked together. There is even a kids «play» section.
There are lots of organic/​natural snacks, flours, oils, and other products to purchase at great prices. In the back of the store is the kitchen — a small wooded off area with a walk up window where you place your order. The menu has a little of everything and usually a daily special. Everything is fresh, local, and homemade.
I’ve been twice now and both times ordered wraps. The turkey blue cheese wrap was great — came with chips (or pita chips) and orange slices. I loved the bite of the blue cheese and all the fresh lettuce, tomatos, and red onion.
The second wrap was the muffaletta — lots and lots of fresh mozzarella stacked with turkey and ham and an olive pesto. Both came on a whole grain wrap and were warm pressed.
Staff is so friendly and even though it was weeks in between the two times I came, they remembered my name! It’s so hard to not walk down the counter and buy a little bit of everything –especially all the sweets. They also have beer/​wine bar to enjoy.
I can only hope to take longer lunches more often to make my way here!

I really dug the atmosphere and vibe inside The Corner Store! There was a very ‘homey’ feeling from the wooden walls and labels made from natural paper. The jars of spices and seasonings were all in apothecary jars which made the store feel like an old general store which fits perfectly in the downtown area of Plant City! The area where the kitchen was happened to be separate to look like a little wooden shack, which was also super cute. I could have stayed and hung out all day ;)
The Chicken Greek wrap I tried was fantastic! It even came with pita chips and grapefruit!
I ended up also sharing the chicken and goat cheese wrap my husband got because it was also delishhhh! Food made with love!

Fresh, creative, and so good. Lots of vegetarian/​vegan options and their baked goods looked great. Unilocal recently had an event here and we got to try a few things from the menu which are below. One thing about each item that made everything so great was the attention to the menu item’s condiments, this is overlooked in so many places and Cynthia (the owner and total sweetheart!) uses these to add incredible flavor to each item…
–green smoothies– I tried two, the green veg and the green fruit/​veg. The fruit smoothie was obviously delicious as it was sweet and green like every smoothie should be. The veg «smoothie» was more how a blended juice might be. It was light and refreshing and slightly spicy. Our waiter gave us a warning that it wasn’t sweet which was good bc I was expecting a typical green smoothie. I could taste the celery/​tomato parts and I really liked it. I will probably order this next time I’m there, the taste of health.
–Squash bisque, buy two orders and bring a straw. It was perfect. I can’t remember if it was butternut or pumpkin, but regardless, you should order a lot of it.
–Autumn salad, the lemony dressing was a great contrast to the rich flavors of pecan, cheese, and cranberries. The dressing was also more unique than a lot of the «fallish» salads on menus so it stands out.
–Turkey/​Cranberry Sandwich… I took off the turkey and I’d still recommend it. Salty sweet perfection. The cranberry relish on this sandwich was homemade. I didn’t ask anyone if it was, you could just tell. It was so good.
–Greek wrap– maybe their hummus has magic in it? I wanted 5 of these. There was spinach, lots of veggies, olives and the hummus.
–Pesto Chicken wrap, again, I took out the chicken and it was great. The pesto was so flavorful and delicious. Even with just spinach and veggies.
I’m probably butchering a lot of the menu item’s names but their amazing staff will probably direct you in the right direction, they are so nice. I can not stress enough how important friendly people are to me.

Why 5 stars? Because this is the class of Plant City.
— — —
I haven’t been to Plant City often. I have checked out the Strawberry Festival a couple of times and had a softball tournament there. I once «enjoyed» a buffet that was about the quality of food you’d expect in this town.
The Corner Store is what not to expect.
I feel like this building was taken out of the ground and transported from a hipster haven somewhere in Tampa… or even possibly in Brooklyn. It’s half-​restaurant, half-​market, full of all kinds of goodies and knick-​knacks. I don’t think there’s any demographic that would find themselves uninterested with these products.
As for the food — I tried the South of the Border wrap, and was in heaven. HEAVEN! That was the best wrap I’ve ever had.
The butternut squash soup… I’m still dreaming of it. I would absolutely drive 50 miles round trip for that soup/​wrap again.
I also went for a veggie shake, because I was attempting to go the healthy route. It was definitely healthy tasting! Next time I will probably indulge on a strawberry shake!
I’m not sure how this establishment ended up where it’s at, but I love everything about it.