By Suzanne Schmidt
Many people driving by Café Fresco in Wesley Chapel might think it is just a bakery, but one step inside reveals the tantalizing smells of café-style treats like sandwiches, salads and homemade soups.
Chris Foggett owns the restaurant with his dad, Jim Foggett. He said he makes sure the restaurant is a nice family place.
“I like to get to know customers and build relationships with them,” Chris Foggett said. “I love to watch the families grow. That is what I wanted when I opened the restaurant, to know my patrons and for them to get to know me. It is kind of like one big giant dinner party.”
Chris Foggett said the restaurant is like a European and American café with traditional café dishes like burgers and grilled chicken salad and dishes with a European twist like paninis.
“We make everything fresh daily,” Chris Foggett said. “We cut up the fries every morning. We also have fresh fruit that we slice every morning. We cook everything from scratch.”
In addition to cooking up fresh food daily, the restaurant also bakes fresh bread and desserts like danishes, muffins and an assortment of cakes like carrot cake, red velvet cake, cannoli’s, eclairs and baklava.
“We make sweet bread everyday and serve it to everyone who comes in,” Chris Foggett said. “We also bake our own Italian and ciabatta bread for our sandwiches. We also sell the loaves of Italian bread.”
Café Fresco opened a little more than two years ago right before the economy declined. Even though the economy has not fully recovered, Jim Foggett said he is seeing a big improvement at the restaurant.
“It is growing,” Jim Foggett said. “We opened when the economy was on the upside and then the economy took a real sharp downturn. We are doing better now though with a 10 to 15 percent increase in sales from this time last year.”
Foggett credits the growth to all the great customers who keep coming back.
“We still have regulars from the first day we opened and we still have people who come here five days a week or daily,” Chris Foggett said.
John Narcisi, owner of JN Electric in Land O’ Lakes, said he and his employees visit the restaurant a couple times a week.
“They have a friendly staff and the food is excellent,” Narcisi said. “I love how big the chef’s salad is and how fresh all the food is.”
Joyce Newland, office manager at JN Electric, said she loves the food.
“The fries are the best I have ever had,” Newland said. “My favorite thing to get is the turkey fresco wrap. They have awesome food and I love how friendly the staff is.”
Nick DeChellis, commercial estimator at JN Electric, said he enjoys trying new things.
“I always order something different and I have never been disappointed,” DeChellis said.
Fran and Bernie Reedman of Seven Oaks said they like to eat at the restaurant every other week because the food and the ambiance is so good.
“The food is so fresh and I really like the atmosphere,” Fran Reedman said. “I like that it is like a café and not just some chain restaurant. Since it is family-owned, I feel welcome and comfortable here.”
The restaurant, 27209 SR 56, is open everyday for breakfast and lunch. Monday through Saturday the restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, visit www.cafefrescobakery.com or call (813) 333-1200.
Italian Cappellone Pizza
1 Prepared pizza dough
1 tbl prepared pesto sauce
1 Portobello Mushroom cap
¼ cup Balsamic Italian Dressing
1 cup Provolone Cheese (shredded)
1 Roasted Red Pepper (julienne)
¼ cup Bruschetta Topping (see recipe below)
1 tbl Italian Seasoning
1 tbl Romano or Parmesan Cheese
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Clean & slice Portobello mushroom into strips. Marinade mushroom in Italian salad dressing for 1 hour. Then sauté mushroom over med-high heat until begins to soften.
3. On a lightly floured surface, flatten pizza dough in a circular motion and stretch to desired size (use rolling pin if necessary). Place dough onto pizza stone, or baking sheet
4. Spread pesto sauce on pizza dough, and cover evenly with provolone cheese.
5. Evenly cover pizza with the sautéed mushroom, roasted red pepper, and bruschetta topping.
6. Sprinkle pizza with seasoning, and Romano cheese, then bake for apprx 15 min. (cooking times vary. Check crust for desired doneness).
Bruschetta Topping
1 ½ vine ripe tomatoes, diced
½ Red Onion, diced
4 Garlic cloves, minced
2 tbl chopped fresh basil
Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1. Mix all ingredients together in bowl. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and add salt & pepper to desired taste. Place in fridge for 1 hour then mix again before using.
