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Fred’s Market Restaurant
Fred’s Market Restaurant in Plant City may have changed its name over the years, but it has stood the test of time. FOX 13’s Russell Rhodes reports.
PLANT CITY, Fla. - A Plant City staple built on home-cooked meals continues to thrive seven decades later under the care of four generations of the same family.
Seven Decades of Southern Hospitality
What we know:
The Johnson family’s deep roots in the restaurant industry began with simple home cooking.
Evelyn Johnson recalls when her late husband decided to open their first dining spot right next to their home in 1954, welcoming neighbors and passersby off the road for a home-cooked meal. Decades later, that small-scale endeavor has evolved into Fred’s Market, a bustling Plant City staple overseen by four generations of the Johnson family.
Four generations of the Johnson family—including matriarch Evelyn Johnson—pose together inside Fred's Market in Plant City.
Family restaurant legacy
What we don't know:
While the exact number of meals served over the past seven decades isn't documented, family members note that the restaurant consistently operates at capacity, with some loyal patrons visiting daily or even twice a day.
The exterior of Fred's Market restaurant in Plant City, where four generations of the Johnson family serve southern-style home cooking.
Johnson family reflections
What they're saying:
Evelyn Johnson remembered the humble beginnings of the eatery. "He said, 'We'll just eat out here, and everybody else can stop and eat.' I said, 'OK.' So I'd cook like I was cooking at home... Look at all these people in here. I guess there's some other place to eat, but it's not as good," Johnson said.
Family members expressed gratitude for the rare multi-generational effort. Cade Johnson said, "I never really knew [how unique it was] until after I started working here and kind of talking to people about how cool that is and how rare it is to find that. Really cool, really blessed".
Owen Johnson noted the example set by his grandmother. "It's a universally appreciated talent to be able to live your life in service of other people... To watch Grandma, the fact that she's done it seventy-five-plus years, there's nothing like that. That's an ultimate example of hospitality to me," Owen Johnson said.
Fred Johnson shared his happiness in working alongside his relatives. "It's one of the greatest joys I have that my son wanted to work with me... And grandson. We've got Mom here. It's just generations. We've been doing it so long, it's second nature," Fred Johnson said.
The Source: This story was reported on-location at Fred's Market in Plant City. Information and direct quotes were gathered through in-person sit-down interviews with four generations of the Johnson family: matriarch Evelyn Johnson, Fred Johnson, Owen Johnson, and Cade Johnson. Additional context was compiled from visual observation of the restaurant's daily operations, customer traffic, and archival family background details regarding the establishment's 1954 origins.