Category: Featured

If you think the Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart (located on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. just south of S.R. 56) is a store for vitamins and supplements, you’re not wrong. 

And, if you think that’s all the popular store carries, you’re not alone. 

But, if you’re one of those people who thinks Nutrition Smart is only a place where supplement fanatics stock up, you’re missing out on all that our area’s original “green grocer” has to offer. 

“A lot of people come in expecting just vitamins, but they’re impressed by what they see,” says Fausto Soriano, the store’s general manger. “That’s definitely a misconception.” 

Nutrition Smart offers fresh, organic produce, natural grocery items and refrigerated and frozen food, from dairy (including raw milk) and eggs to meat, bread and healthy snacks. 

Fausto says that many of the store’s customers do all of their grocery shopping in the store, which also includes the largest selection of supplements in the area, plus vitamins, bulk foods, sport nutrition, health and beauty items, pet care, household products and more. 

Fausto says it’s not on a huge scale like you would find at a large grocery store, but there is a little bit of everything, and Nutrition Smart offers something other stores don’t.

“All of our fresh produce is 100% organic,” Fausto says. While other stores stock both organic and non-organic products that are sold right next to each other, at Nutrition Smart, “Our customers don’t have to worry about buying conventional products by mistake.” 

Fausto also says that at his store in particular, many people believe in an “eat first” philosophy where they make healthier food choices now instead of needing supplements later. 

Customers seem to like the store’s organic, fresh chicken and grass-fed beef, and get a wide variety of unique products at Nutrition Smart that aren’t available anywhere else. For example, he says, raw milk from a Florida dairy farm is extremely popular. 

“Every Tuesday, we get a fresh delivery of raw milk,” he says. “Customers line up waiting for the milk to arrive.” 

The store also is able to offer mom-and-pop brands from nearby vendors, too, including locally made raw honey. 

Local desserts are delivered fresh to the store from Dade City’s Hillbilly Farms Bakery. Tampa’s Sami’s Bakery delivers fresh breads, wraps, cookies and desserts every Thursday. Both bakeries offer specialty items such as low-carb and gluten- free desserts and bakery items. 

Other unique products include a variety of trending supplements, such as those derived from mushrooms and shilajit, a resin from the earth that reportedly can help with hormone balance and other functions. The store also carries a large variety of CBD products. 

Fausto adds that the Wesley Chapel location of Nutrition Smart is the number one store in the state of Florida for selling the energy drink Celsius. 

“We are known in the area for having a huge Celsius selection,” he says. “We have all the new flavors first, and the biggest variety of flavors, along with one of the most aggressive prices.” 

He says he and his staff, including assistant store manager Joe Geier, pay attention to trends in the industry to be sure they know what customers want. When vendors pitch new products to the store, they watch for commonalities. Many customers also read articles and often ask for certain new products or ingredients. 

Joe has been with the company for six years and was previously a vitamin manager. He and Fausto, who has been with Nutrition Smart for 15 years, are among about 24 store employees in the Wesley Chapel location. Definitely not a big chain, Nutrition Smart has just two other locations — in Port St. Lucie and Pembroke Pines. 

“Our vitamin staff is super knowledgeable,” says Fausto. “A lot of them have been doing this for 15 or 20 years. They focus on individualized service for each customer’s unique needs. We’re not just trying to sell a product. We want to hear what their needs are and hopefully gain their trust so they’ll come back in the future.” 

It’s a service they have been providing for 15 years now, since the Wesley Chapel location of Nutrition Smart opened in 2009. 

“We were the first in this area to provide these products,” Fausto says. “We’ve been here since before Wesley Chapel was a destination.” 

Introducing: Divine Leaf Vegan

Another hidden gem inside the Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart is Divine Leaf Vegan, a new café serving freshly-made burgers, sandwiches, salads, cold pressed juices, smoothies and more. 

“It’s been awesome to have them,” says Fausto. “There’s not a lot of vegan restaurants or options in our area, so it’s worked out well. I’m not vegan and I buy stuff from there all the time. They have a really good ranch sauce they make from scratch, and I buy a full-size bottle because my kids love it. It’s phenomenal.”

Fausto adds that the partnership is great because people who find out about Divine Leaf through its own social media often become Nutrition Smart customers as they discover the store, too. 

Making Health More Affordable 

Nutrition Smart offers many discounts and coupons, including a 20% -off coupon in this issue. In addition, active and veteran military members, first responders, nurses and teachers all receive 10 percent off their purchases all day, every day. On Tuesdays, seniors (ages 55 & older) also receive 10 percent off. Shoppers also can sign up for Nutrition Smart’s text club by texting “WESLEY” to (866) 603-3532 for exclusive offers. 

Pam T. is a Wesley Chapel Nutrition Smart shopper who recently wrote a review. “Love this little health food store,” she says. “It’s my go-to every week. With great rewards and coupons, the prices are not painful. I love that all the produce is organic. Great selection of most items I need on a week-to- week basis.” 

Nutrition Smart is located at 1821 BBD Blvd. It is open Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m., and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit NutritionSmart.com, call the store at (813) 341-4444, or see the ad below for the coupon that will get you 20 percent off your purchase.