Meet the Owner: Freshley's Cafe

How's this for a restaurant concept: open an eatery just off a major Seminole Heights intersection, using a converted vehicle for the kitchen. Sound familiar?

The similarities between the and the new Freshley's Café pretty much end there. A gleaming Airstream trailer marks the Freshley's spot, on the northwest corner of Florida and Hillsborough avenues.

That really is the kitchen, and it really can be packed up and towed off on short notice. Co-owner Ashley Hoskins said traveling to vend at special events like the Florida Strawberry Festival or the Florida State Fair is one of the advantages of setting up the kitchen on four wheels.

Another advantage of the Freshley's setup, which includes outdoor-only seating for 20, is:

"It's small, it's family-owned, we control everything, we control the quality of the food," said Hoskins, whose 10 year tenure in the restaurant business included cooking at Tinatapas and event managing at Splitsville, both in Channelside.

It also can't hurt that Hoskins is situated on one of Tampa's busiest intersections and doesn’t have to pay rent. The lot is owned by longtime Seminole Heights resident Tom Cawley, who is also a partial Freshley's owner.

"This a very very busy intersection," said Hoskins. "The fact that we don't have to pay any rent is a huge huge advantage."

Freshley's Café
5420 N Florida Ave.
813-361-8190
www.freshleyscafe.com

Opened: May 4, 2011.

Freshley's team: Along with Hoskins and land owner Cawley, Hoskins' mom Jackie Bennett, and grandmother Karen Mitchell are also business partners.  

Eclectic menu: Breakfast items include the Greek Scramble Wrap and Banana Pancakes; lunch items include Chicken Satay, Smoked Salmon BLT, and Mom's Meatloaf Sandwich. "The only real theme is that everything is fresh," said Hoskins,
"nothing comes from a can, nothing is frozen."

Best sellers, so far: Caribbean Fish Tacos and Good Morning New York (smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, tomato, cucumber, capers on pumpernickel bread), reports Hoskins.

As seen on TV: "We were watching the Great Food Truck Race," Hoskins said, referring to the Food Network series, "and that's what inspired us."

Not as crazy as it seems: "We noticed the food truck trend is picking up all over the country," Hoskins said.

Make and model: The Freshley's kitchen is a rebfurbished and converted 1959 Airstream RV trailer, complete with flat top grill, charbroil grill, salad prep table, steam table, and a pending deep fryer.

How's the ride? "It'll go 65," said Hoskins. "It doesn't shift too much. Eveything stays in its proper place."

Good neighborhood: "I think there's a lot of young professionals that live in this area," Hoskins said. "Seminole Heights is definitely the up and coming area. It's interesting." Hoskins herself lived in Seminole Heights until her husband's new job recently prompted them to move to Clearwater.

Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.