TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

At Ripe Age Of 74, Whaley's Packs It In

ADVERTISEMENT

By STEVE OTTO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 6, 2008

Updated: 08/06/2008 12:22 am

I can't even imagine how many melons have been thumped and tomatoes squeezed. How many vats of homemade bean soup have been served and how many times someone has leaned over the counter for that special cut of meat for an equally special occasion.

How many baskets have been carefully and individually put together to deliver to people or dishes prepared a certain way for a customer who might be a little picky, but is a longtime patron.

Whaley's Market on South Howard Avenue will close its doors Sunday afternoon, bringing to an end a Tampa institution - at least for the foreseeable future.
Four generations of Whaleys have run the market.

"Oh, it's not easy to even talk about it," says Linda Whaley Bublitz, who runs the store's operations. "We've put together a handout we're giving to all of our customers and we told our employees last week, but it is so hard.

"We know that there are so many people, especially older people in Hyde Park, who really depend on us. We are their cooks and now they are going to have to go somewhere else. It breaks your heart."

"Our decision," reads the handout in part, "to leave our home on South Howard Avenue has been one of the most difficult of our lives. The site was the home to the first Whaley's - an open-air, sawdust-floor market opened by Uncle C.L. Whaley in 1934."
Bublitz says she will be going into teaching in the fall. She has her teaching certificate and plans on beginning at Monroe Middle School in Tampa.

I can remember following Linda's father, Ron, around the farmers' produce stands on Hillsborough Avenue long before dawn. The thing about Ron Whaley was that he knew everybody there and what he was likely to find, almost before getting to a particular farmer's stall.

Knew Customers' Tastes

More than that, he had a feel for what his customers would be looking for later in the day when they came to the market. Fresh produce is just that. You have to know what you're looking for, how much to buy and where to look.

He retired a couple of years ago and now his son, Todd, is the squeezer and thumper, but it is still a family business.

"We got together last Sunday," Linda said. "We own half of the center the market is in but not the controlling part.

"The cost has just become too prohibitive. I know that my brother is already looking for another location and when that happens I'll be there as will the rest of the family, but for now, well, Sunday is going to be it."

Times, as you may have noticed, do change. If you grew up in Tampa a few decades ago, you might remember the small markets and groceries you could find in almost every neighborhood.

Can You Replace Family?

It's not like you won't be able to purchase fresh vegetables anymore. New organic and specialty stores are everywhere. Just a couple of blocks from Whaley's, a new Publix GreenWise store is scheduled to open this fall.

What you won't get is a Whaley. You won't get a butcher who knows your family or a produce manager who might give you a call when fresh peaches are in.

You don't replace a Whaley's with a new building and fancy trappings. You might replace it in time, with care and honest work and a sense that you are doing business with someone from your own family.

Keyword: Otto Graphs, to read and comment on this column and others by Steve Otto.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT