The Heart Of Tampa Hosts A Locally-Loved Farmer's Market With Weekly Specials And Diverse Foods

Floridians don't have to go far for fresh grouper, Pub subs, or key limes, but when ingredient variety is the goal, Tampa locals head to Sanwa Farmer's Market. This isn't your typical artisanal pop-up farmers market selling fresh breads and pricey jams, or even the Sunday market at Wat Mongkolratanram that Samantha Brown says feels exactly like visiting Thailand (although that's fun, too). Sanwa (officially Sanwa Growers, Inc.) is a brick-and-mortar hybrid wholesaler and public grocery store where restaurateurs and home chef neighbors shop side-by-side for an impressive range of produce, spices, meat, and other culinary ingredients, many rarely found in coastal Florida grocery stores. Think of it as a Costco for fresh produce and international flavors, with wholesale prices, but without the membership fee.

Located on East Hillsborough Avenue on the edge of Old Seminole Heights — a historic Tampa neighborhood turned trendy district not far from Busch Gardens and Ybor City — Sanwa is a no-frills, industrial-style warehouse. Instead of free samples, you'll find forklifts moving pallets of 50-pound rice sacks. The back room functions as a walk-in refrigerator, so you'll often see shoppers wearing puffer coats or in goosebump sleeves as they sift through crates of bok choy and blueberries.

The store opens at 4:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 8:00 a.m. on Sundays, allowing chefs to provision for their mise en place early in the day. Customers can stock up on bulk items like 20-pound bags of onions or shop for single ingredients, including exotic fruits like dragonfruits or rambutans that are hard to find elsewhere. "I would describe this place as a restaurant supply store that is open to the public," wrote a Google reviewer. "Prices definitely beat Publix and their selection of produce is fresh and extensive!" agreed another.

Sanwa was founded in the early 1980s by Tony Leung, who was visiting Florida from his farm in Canada and decided to stay. Originally from Hong Kong, he wanted his store to specialize in Asian produce that is often hard to find in North America, and found that Florida's warm climate allowed for ideal growing conditions. Beginning with Chinese cabbage and Asian melons, the farm soon began scaling to what "That's So Tampa" calls "an agricultural powerhouse," supplying produce to restaurants, food distributors, and small grocery chains throughout Florida.

While produce remains the store's crown jewel — from pineberries, peppers, and mangoes to jackfruit, breadfruit, and rambutan — Sanwa also boasts extensive meat, dairy, seafood — both frozen and live — spices, beverages, dry goods, frozen foods, and restaurant supplies like to-go containers and plastic cutlery. "Calling it a 'farmers market' is doing it a disservice!" wrote a Google reviewer. "Can't wait to go back. Love how everything is labeled and named." Another reviewer agreed, writing, "Sanwa is a wonderful place to grab fresh fruits, especially fresh vegetables from all over the world. Spices, chili peppers, fresh ginger, sauces, dairy products, rice, bread, seafood, tortillas and lots of sodas from Thailand and the Caribbean."

But Sanwa's biggest draw may be its rotating weekly specials, posted each week on the market's Facebook page. You never know what to expect, and deals can range from canned Cafe du Monde coffee to fresh quail eggs and kabocha squash– all in the same week (but every week's different!). Visitors note that parking fills up quickly, so shopping early is advised. If you needed one more reason why Tampa's ranked one of the best places to live in America, Sanwa may be it!