Rollin’ Oats Cafe and Market |

Way back in once up a time time, I would ride with my grandmother to a little nutritional shop around the corner called Nature’s Harvest. She loved shopping for fresh produce, vitamins and other hard to find health items here. The strongest memories I have of going here as a kid are the smells. The entire store smelled like the inside of a vitamin C bottle. Now, of course, that’s not always a bad smell if you’re a health nut, but as a kid, it wasn’t always the most inviting of scents!

Nature’s Harvest has evolved quite a bit since then. Over the years we’ve seen a name change, expansions, and more offerings than ever before. Rollin’ Oats, as we all know it as now, is definitely the hidden Tampa gem in a world of farmer’s markets, chain “organic” stores, and local delis. There’s a great emphasis on providing locally produced groceries, items and baked goods. Customer service is prime with visible, knowledgeable staff in almost every aisle. The produce section has hard to find items and a classroom attached- where a variety of nutrition classes and demos are offered periodically throughout the year. There is a HUGE beer and wine section (with not so huge prices), a bakery with the MOST amazing jam dot cookies, muffins, vegan cakes and pies, and a recently updated cold and hot deli with daily specials (try their cauliflower, mac and cheese, vegan pot pie and weekend pizzas- YUM). You’ll find a very roomy, multi-table sitting area if you’d like to stay for lunch and enjoy anything from the hot foods area, or a wrap and a cup of soup with some juice or a smoothie from their juice bar.

With all that cooking going on day in and day out, let’s just say the aromas you catch a whiff of upon entering won’t remind you of something out of a bottle.

In addition to all of this you will find a vast selection of frozen foods, snacks, spices, groceries, dry goods, pet products, cleaning and beauty supplies and just about any type of vitamin or supplement you could possibly need. It really is a one-stop shop.

So the next time you’re in the area, make sure you check out Rollin’ Oats. It’s close to the corner of MacDill and Cypress, in a shopping center on the right if you’re traveling north. Here’s the information: