PALM HARBOR, Fla. (WFLA) – When Kirsten Lang and her husband opened the first Grain and Berry location in Palm Harbor, they were providing a product few other restaurants in the Bay area were providing: Acai bowls and other healthy eating and drinking alternatives.

This week, the restaurant announced it’s adding something different to the menu: fresh produce.

Customers can order farm-fresh fruits and vegetables from the restaurant and then pick it up in minutes.

WHAT TO KNOW:

  • Florida is reporting 85,926 cases and 3,061 deaths
  • Florida in Phase Two of reopening
  • Cases have spiked in past week, Gov. DeSantis says due to increased testing

Lang says it’s a healthy alternative to shopping at traditional retailers, where customers really don’t know how much the produce has been handled before they purchase it.

“The nice thing is, this comes directly from the farm, so you’re not getting a lot of people touching it,” said Lang. “We don’t have people coming in all day touching it.”

Lang tells 8 On Your side, sales at the location are down a bit, but she says this isn’t an effort to keep the restaurant afloat, rather providing a valuable service to her customers.

“You can call ahead and we can actually put a bag together for you and bring it out to your car,” said Lang. “So it’s just reducing the possibility of germs. “

Lauren Cook was picking up a to-go order and had heard the restaurant was now selling fruits and vegetables.

She says it’s a shopping option she is now going to seriously consider.

“Yeah, definitely,” said Cook. “Because this is a place that I would come to anyway and I feel like it’s a little bit of a safer environment. There aren’t too many people in here right now. “

LATEST ON THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: