LARGO, Fla. (WFLA) — Squeeze the day at this sweet Gem of Tampa Bay that has been a staple in Pinellas County for more than 60 years.
Yellow Banks Grove, located on Walsingham Road in Largo, has been for serving up orange juice and selling fresh fruit for decades.
“There was nothing here but groves,” Yellow Banks Groves Owner John Buck said.
Buck said he opened up the local business when he was in his 20’s after moving to Florida from Indiana.
“When I came here there was approximately 20 places like this in this county and there’s only one other place on the coast,” he said.
Now this iconic gem is one of the only citrus packing and distribution facilities left in the state still welcoming visitors through the doors.
One of the most popular items people come in for is the orange swirl ice-cream.
“I just like how if you want it to be sour, it will be sour,” Yellow Banks Groves Visitor Teagan Tutton, 8, said. “If you want it to be sweet, it will be sweet.
In addition to sweet treats, like the saltwater taffy, you can also stop by for some freshly squeezed orange juice, jelly, honey and key lime pie.
“Everybody will ask me every once in a while, ‘why don’t you retire?’ I tell them, ‘every morning when I get up, I gotta have a reason to put my feet on the floor and I still enjoy it,” Buck said.
Yellow Banks Grove is located at 14423 Walsingham Rd in Largo. They are open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
According to staff, the store will also be open on Sundays beginning in December.
