LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — For nearly a decade, Heavenly Honey Amish Warehouse in Lake Alfred has been a place where families come to stock up on Amish food and products.
“Just like the Amish Origins. I had an elderly gentleman come in. He said, ‘would you please get me this? It’s the only thing that takes the pain away," said Richard Mazzula, Owner of Heavenly Honey Amish Warehouse.
There’s a wide variety of honey, different cheeses, homemade jams, and jellies. Debbie Hogg drove about an hour to get her favorites.
“I really like a lot of the jellies and jams that they have. And they have Joe’s Raspberry Tea that I'm a big fan of and you can't hardly find that anywhere down here,” Hogg said.
The store reminds longtime customer Anne Crowe of her childhood.
“Home up in Wisconsin, we have Amish communities up there. In fact, Amish made my bedroom set and it’s here with me. I didn’t leave it behind,” said Anne Crowe.
People also come to soak in the sparkle of holiday LED light sculptures. Mazzula spent 50 years running a fresh Christmas tree lot before opening the store. He said those signature light sculptures were a way to draw people in, and now he sells them.
“It’s a happy, friendly business,” Mazzula said.
But next year, the familiar glow on South Lake Shore Way could fade for good.
Mazzula is facing a mix of challenges, including the landlord wanting to replace the store with a strip mall and rising material costs.
“Everything, everything’s up. Now with the tariffs this metal from Mexico and lights from China, it’s up so high,” Mazzula said.
Crowe said losing the warehouse would be losing a piece of home. “We’re going to miss them dearly. I hope they don't leave,” she said.
Mazzula will soon run sales to clear out his inventory. Meanwhile, he plans to savor the store for as long as he can.
“We’re going to be here as long as the good Lord wants us here,” Mazzula said.
Whether the Amish Warehouse closes or finds a new future, its shelves and the memories made there have meant more to the community than just food and lights.
Share Your Story with Rebecca
Rebecca Petit is dedicated to telling your stories from every corner of Polk County. She knows how growth has been a major discussion point for the area, and the impact it’s had on some of our most vulnerable populations. You can connect with Rebecca by using the form below.
.
"It made all the hard days worth it"
In 2024, Tampa Bay 28 Anchor Lauren St. Germain brought viewers the story of a young mom here in Florida who was diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer. Now, Lauren is following through and giving an update on her experimental cell vaccine therapy.
