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Hernando Today

Chef Audrey Offers A Healthy Choice

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: October 20, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - The city's newest cafe is tucked away inside a smaller-sized store.

But there's nothing small about the demand for healthy, all-natural foods. Customers have been arriving since day one.

"We can crank out quite a lot of food here," said Audrey Costa, who is the owner of Chef Audrey's Eclectic Cafe.

As she gave a tour of her work space, the aroma of rotisserie-roasted chicken emanated from the far side of the kitchen.

The restaurant is located inside Brooksville Natural Foods. To Costa and the owners of the store, the pairing was perfect.

"Everyone's been so receptive and supportive," Costa said of her customers. "People have really been talking about it."

Her cafe opened five weeks ago, but word is getting around. She was invited to be one of the food sponsors at last weekend's Hernando Community Health Fair.

The menu is filled with whole grains, vegetables, lean meats and organics. More specifically, customers may order all-natural chicken, rice dishes, spinach salad, gluten-free desserts and herbal teas - just to name a few.

The Massachusetts native has lived in Hernando County for 18 months. She graduated from Johnson and Wales Culinary School three years ago and followed that with a job at Whole Foods Market, the world's largest organic and natural foods retailer.

"They taught me a lot," she said of her experiences with the grocery chain.

Her new business is a far cry from the thousands of square feet of store space filled with produce, seafood, wine and baked goods.

Instead, Costa's quaint cafe is decorated with portraits, tables and chairs fit for a coffee house, shelves packed with herbs and spices and a custom-made set of wind chimes made of old, flattened silverware.

After five weeks, Costa already has established a loyal customer base.

"I'm into healthy foods that don't have all those hormones and other stuff," said Rolla Hatel, of Brooksville, who ordered a spinach salad and tuna from Costa Friday morning. "It's just better for you."

Karen Greenway, one of the co-owners of the natural foods store, has two more locations - one in Spring Hill and another in Inverness.

She said her Brooksville store has the most traffic out of the three, so it was an ideal place to open a cafe to compliment the business.

"We feel we have a wonderful addition to what we offer to the community," Greenway said. "People are becoming more aware of health foods."

Biz at a glance:

Name of biz - Chef Audrey's Eclectic Cafe

Owner - Audrey Costa

What it is - Restaurant that sells organic, all-natural foods

Where it is - 1254 S. Broad St., inside Brooksville Natural Foods

Hours of operation - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday

Get in touch - 352-799-5211

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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