Shannon O’Malley’s urban farm in Downtown St. Pete produces lettuce, arugula, and other greens for Tampa Bay’s booming restaurant scene. As the Co-founder and CEO at Brick Street Farms (BSF), O’Malley wanted to be accessible to the community and opened a retail location on the property during the pandemic.
Manager Claire Hendrix says, “Our farm store offers items such as our hydroponically grown leafy greens and microgreens, as well as local eggs, meat, drinks, shelf-stable items, and organic produce.” Local restaurateurs are fan favorites of Brick Street Farms and their products. David Lazer Benstock, executive chef and owner of IL Ritorno says, “We have worked with Brick Street Farms for almost three years. We get different microgreens from them to garnish our plates and add explosions of flavor.”
Chef Richard Anderson of the Oxford Exchange in Tampa says, “We receive approximately 100 lbs. of mixed greens a week at OE. We use them at all of our current restaurants and plan on bringing them with us to future locations. They are a great company with an incredible product. I think people forget what great lettuces and herbs taste like until they find them through great purveyors like Brick Street.”
O’Malley prides herself on the cost-effectiveness of her design, which is around $5 million to build and millions less than competitors. “We have the same production capacity that they do. I designed a system that is more cost-effective and just as productive. And I really think that every city needs a Brick Street Farm.” she says.
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