The
FRESH COUNTRY CAFE
Fresh Country Kitchen has
a bright new location on busy
Gall Blvd in Zephyrhills. The
new location is modern while remaining
cozy. With warm tones
on the walls and bright, big windows,
locals are happy to spend
time there, sampling the recipes
that have been passed down
through owner Mike Mira’s
family for generations. Another
great feature about the new place
is the large outdoor patio, which
is well-behaved dog friendly.
It was the new location that
brought our team in for the Bite
Review, but it was the delicious
food and great conversation that
we had with Mike that kept us
there for well over an hour.
Mike Mira is a 6th generation
“Ybor City Baby.” His
family has owned restaurants
in some capacity since the
1930’s. The home that his parents
brought him back to after
Bite! Review
birth was the same home that his
great-grandmother gave birth to
his grandfather in 1911 (pictured
top, left). That home remained in
Ybor City until it was threatened by the I-4 widening project and
moved. “That same home is now a shelter for homeless female
veterans,” Mike shared.
Fresh Country Cafe is a combination of unwritten, passed
down, family recipes and scratch-made Southern classics.
Being so deeply rooted in Florida brings Mike pride, which
is clear in the way he talks about his upbringing. He shared
memories of playing and helping out in his family’s restaurants,
which gave him the love for the industry. He said that “food
and restaurants have always been in my blood,” and he started
his own Cuban restaurant in 1998. He sold it and bought Mainly
New England in Zephyrhills in 1999, which he successfully
ran for 16 years. It wasn’t long before he opened Island Breeze
Cuban Cafe in 2013, but located in Zephyrhills, where the love
of country food is at an all-time high, he knew he had to think
outside of the box. He was already serving delicious Cuban recipes
that are unwritten and had been passed down for many generations
in his family, but he decided to rebrand. He developed
Fresh Country Cafe by keeping all of the family recipes, but then
adding some scratch-made Southern classics.
By Jen Wead
We visited Fresh Country
Cafe on a sunny Saturday, late
morning. The service was great
and our server Najaly was attentive
and happy. When the staff
is happy it is always easier to feel
comfortable and this was no exception.
We ordered breakfast
and everything was perfect. They
source their Cuban Bread from
La Segunda, which many would
argue is the best in the area, myself
included. I was pleased to
see that they offered loaves for
purchase and we eagerly bought
some to take home. Our potatoes
were crispy on the outside and
perfectly soft and steamy in the
center. The coffee was hot and
plentiful.
They offer a great value at
Fresh Country Cafe. The meals
are very affordable and drinks
and a small dessert are always
included. They also have beer
and wine available, with many
options to choose from.
Mike Mira has used his
businesses as an opportunity to
help the community for many
years. He has provided Thanksgiving and Christmas meals to
Meals on Wheels for the last 15 years, while also serving as the organizations
president. He is a past president of The Zephyrhills
Chamber of Commerce, and a two time past president of the Rotary.
What he is most proud of is his work with ShelterBox, USA,
which delivers emergency shelter to families around the world
Hall of Fame, an honor he earned by raising over $150,000 for
them between 2012-2018.
Try Fresh Country Cafe for yourself and introduce yourself
to Mike. He enjoys meeting the residents of the community that
he works so hard to support. They are located at 6834 Gall Blvd,
Zephyrhills, FL. Follow along on their facebook page at facebook.
com/islandbreezecubancafe.
Fresh Country Cafe
6834 Gall Blvd.
Zephyrhills, FL. 33541
813.780.8888
34 • JULY 2019 813.682.9364 FLORIDA WOMEN MAGAZINE