The History of Naturally’s

as told by Vicki Roberts

For me it all started with the book Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit by Adeille Davis.  I had all sorts of health issues at a young age and my answers began there.

At that time, Aleta Lutz had just opened a small health food store in Port Isabel called The Whole Kernel.  My first trip I bought a natural candy bar and a bag of chips.  Little did I realize I would be buying everything at some stage.  In 1981 I purchased half of The Whole Kernel and in 1982 bought the other half.  Over the next 4 years the island was at one of its many stages of growth and as it became more self-sufficient, business in Port Isabel declined.

In July of 1986 I moved The Whole Kernel to the island, changed the name to Naturally’s (I never liked the name Whole Kernel) and added the restaurant because by this time I knew to truly be healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables must be added to the equation.

Business was a struggle.  The first 3 customers at Ocean Palm Plaza requested several products in this order: beer, hostess cup cakes and cigarettes.  But when you believe in what you do and love it, you don’t give up.  Through public education and hard work, Naturally’s did finally catch on and in 1992 a new location opened up right on Padre Blvd. And I took the step of a better location.

Business improved dramatically and within months Michael of “Michael’s Herbs” made me an offer on the store I couldn’t refuse.  I felt it was time to take care of my health and me and sold Naturally’s in October of 1992.  Fourteen months later, Michael called and said the store wasn’t working for him and gave it back.  When I walked back into the business I was crushed but determined not to let Naturally’s fade into history.  I spent the next 4 years building it back to health.

On May 1, 1996 I sold the Naturally’s to Barbara Kowalski (now Gonzalez).

 Naturally’s Health Food Store & Cafe
The Story Continues….
With A Little Help From My Family
by Ronda Burke

Barbara Gonzalez was always that girl/woman with time to listen. I became a customer of hers after I moved to South Padre Island in 1995. I went there for my tea. I traveled there out of curiosity, out of the respect I had for the something more in the universe I was always looking for. To me this comes in higher level stuff like excellent music, fresh wind, warm sun and quality food.

I shopped at Naturally’s and listened to the customers needing Barbara. She was always in the middle of deep conversation about health and wellness. The way I saw it, Naturally’s was Barbara and Barbara was Naturally’s. The fleeting thoughts I had about doing what she did were cut short: there was no room on the island for two health food stores.

Then one day a couple years ago, I walked into the store only to witness Barbara training a new owner, Barbarella Gonzalez. The only thing these two women seemed to have in common were their names, for Barbie (Barbarella) was not the blonde, feminist, herbalist that Barbara was. She was Hispanic, just recently married and knew quite little about holistic health and the business she found herself in. But Barbie was kind and patient and used her well-developed computer skills to keep things running at Naturally’s. During this time, my precious, younger sister (Laura) was working at Naturally’s for the second time (now a college graduate) and keeping her eyes open for a secondary teaching position in the area.

At home, down the street from Naturally’s, I was welcoming my second daughter into existence and dwelling peacefully as a stay-at-home mom who, when I chose to venture out, ended up at Naturally’s, watching my sister bake the Rosemary bread, stir up the millet salad and spend countless hours doing dishes. I watched Barbie. I took in the fact that this store, although seemingly overflowing with quality foods, was sandwiched into a space the size of a small efficiency apartment. I nursed my baby and spent at least $200.00 a week at Naturally’s.



And Laura and I would put baby Lily in the stroller and take long beach walks. It was during these walks that the Universe seemed to listen to us and our dreams.

We visualized everything together; the colors, the menu and our intention of what we knew we could create together.

Some things are simply meant to be. My husband listened to me and when it was time to put thought into action, Terry was there to begin weaving the new tapestry of Naturally’s. Nearly single-handedly, the love of my life for over 20 years went out into the world and acquired the cash required to give Naturally’s the extreme makeover it deserved. And when we found the spot for the new store, Terry went in there and tore down walls and built counters and painted and created 1817 Padre Blvd. Suite 3 into what it is today; a health food store and cafe that is inviting and warm and fully equipped with its own dishwasher.

And then my sister went to work, staying up the entire night before we opened on April 4, 2005. Laura was there at 2am when Terry and I left and she was there at 9am the next morning when we stood around with our new employees and said a little prayer to bless and give thanks for this opportunity to serve the community.

And Laura has been there ever since as the manager and the angel who greets our many customers in search of higher level stuff. She is the reason this store is now a success.

This summer, our youngest sister, Eva, decided to join us, adding to the allure of Naturally’s with her optimistic spirit and decent knowledge of health and wellness.

My brother Dan is working on this website now, and I realize quite suddenly the magic of all that is and all that’s meant to be. With the help of my family, Naturally’s is alive and well and waiting to nourish, inspire and provide for whoever enters its doors.
 

NATURALLY’S ~ THE STORY CONTINUES….

          After two years at 1817 Padre Blvd. where Laura, Verena and Don rocked the place and brought back in a larger fan base, it was time to expand.  I would walk in on a Saturday to see too many customers squished into too small a space.  I turned to my husband Terry once again and we knew what we had to do. 

          The Lantern Grill had always been our favorite dinner restaurant.  We ate there for every special occasion and whenever else we had the time to visit Robert and Denise Goga and their growing experience of super fine dining.  And so it was a shock to us and the rest of the community when they closed up shop and moved away so quickly, leaving their lovely building and so many sweet memories behind.  Many of us watched the building, waiting to see who would try to fill the shoes of the best place to eat on the island.

          No one.

          Not for a long time.

          And then as I was driving down Padre Blvd. one evening, something made me turn into the parking lot there and take down the phone number.  The building was for rent.

          A few months later, Terry splashed the first coat of royal blue paint onto the wall inside this building and that was the start of what you see today.

          It was an extreme makeover that beat out the first one by far.  We took our retirement money and purchased a new kitchen.  We bought Naturally’s its first Point of Sale System.  And we stood behind the bar and looked around in amazement, still calling it The Lantern Grill, even when all the booths were built, even when the shelves for the store were set in place. 

          As I write this, we have been open at 3109 Padre for almost 3 months.  There have been days that all 40 seats were filled and people were waiting for a smoothie or a salad, and there are days like now in September that I clench my teeth and wonder if we did the right thing.  What a leap of faith on all our parts.  We have a quotable card in our store that reads:  LEAP AND THE NET WILL APPEAR.  I try to live by all the amazing quotes that fill our store, and this one is no exception.  My husband and I leaped right into this next phase of this store and cafe I love so much.  It is our second home and our third child and it seems we will do anything to try to see it survive.

          And there, as always, was my precious sister Laura who, at 4am the “night” before we opened, stood peeling and freezing bananas for our first day of business.  I hugged her and pleaded with her to go home and get some rest.  Instead, she turned from her task and said, “You provide the stage; I dance.”  The dance is a longer one these days as she sails from the store front, through the cafe to the kitchen and back again, trying to keep everything running smoothly. 

          Verena (Fran) is still dancing as well, bringing in the beautiful flowers each day, tending to the planters outside, shopping for the very best avocados and then cooking up a storm in the new, shiny kitchen. 

          Don is with us too and what incredible energy he provides to staff and customers alike.  He is a blessing to us, understanding our vision and doing everything in his power to help make it work.

          What is our VISION?  Well, it’s the knowing that each of us deserves to feel good and be happy, because when we feel good and experience happiness, these are the energies we emit to others, spreading the higher level frequencies and bringing everyone a little more love and peace into their lives.  Feeling good physically requires the best good food, which Naturally’s offers an abundance of.  Being happy is something different for everyone, and yet most people who enter Naturally’s leave feeling just a bit more positive about the world we live in.  |

          Who could use some of that?

          I could.

          Guess where I am headed.

          See you there.

          Ronda Burke

          Owner, Naturally’s