The seeds were planted 100 years ago for one the most successful
destination points in the area as Casa de Fruta this year
celebrates a century in business.
For more pictures of the store, visit our photo gallery.
The seeds were planted 100 years ago for one the most successful destination points in the area as Casa de Fruta this year celebrates a century in business.
Suzan Slater, a Zangar family member and a managing partner with Casa de Fruta, said about the milestone that she’s “excited to see where we’ve been, where we are now and where we are going.”
The current fruit stand was started by the then-teenage Zanger brothers – George, Joseph and Eugene – in the 1940s. Since then, the business hasn’t left the family. With one brother deceased and the other two retired, it has been passed down to their children and now is run by Casa de Fruta is run by six family members.
Prior to the Zanger brothers opening their cherry stand on the Pacheco Pass Highway, their Italian ancestors set up an orchard in 1908 on the piece of land where Casa de Fruta currently sits. At the time, mustard was growing in abundance, a sign of fertile land and the first orchard was planted, Slater said.
The past century has seen many different changes for Casa de Fruta, with events starting up there through the years such as the Northern California Renaissance Faire, which returns to the grounds this fall. But arguably, the most famous part of Casa de Fruta, other than the fruit, has been the “Cup flipper” – Jene Zangar – made famous by an appearance many years ago on “Late Night with David Letterman.”
Slater believes the company’s success has a great deal to do with its ability to change. When customers wanted a place to eat, they built it. When they needed a gas station, they built it. It has been “change in order to grow,” said Slater, during an evolution from a simple fruit stand to what it is today.
And grow it has. An a casual day, there are families, couples, young, old and everyone in between. Even soldiers serving in the armed forces drop in from time to time.
To celebrate 100 years, Casa de Fruta has held a large employee appreciation event, added a new menu and put up new billboards pointing out this momentous occasion. But the staples that made it famous are still available.
They still provide a wide variety of fruit, and there are still chocolate-dipped apricots. In addition to those old standards, though, they now offer their own line of fruit wine, deli sandwiches and a nearly unending supply of different sweets. In keeping with their Italian heritage, gelato is sold in their sweets stand.
It’s all a testament to how many things have changed since the Zanger brothers opened their own fruit stand. Since that time, Casa de Fruta has grown to include a restaurant, gas station, motel, RV park, wine room and a sweets shop. And addition of an imported, Italian, two-story carousel in the last year was yet another touch for visitors. It revived, in a sense, the single-story carousel from the early 80s that lacked interest and eventually shut down. Management brought it back spurred by newfound interest from visiting families.
Just about all the attractions can be seen on the Casa de Fruta train ride. Points of interest on the ride are the White Reindeer, a vast collection of antique farm equipment, a pair of bison and the oftentimes elusive white albino peacock – referred to as “the ghost,” as it will be seen one day and then is gone the next.
Visitors like Pete and Terry Del Rio of La Quinta appreciate the many attractions Casa de Fruta has to offer. Visiting for the first time this week while on their way home from vacation, the couple said it was a great place to stop for breakfast and they liked the variety of fruit and candy.
Another visitor, Stephanie Crowe, in from Montana, said she visits every couple of summers on vacation. She has many fond memories of Casa de Fruta over her 31 years of stopping there. But of all things that she likes about it, the fruit is still her favorite part.
While there are always thoughts about new ideas to expand, there are no definitive plans for anything new at the current time, Slater said.
Whatever the future holds for Casa de Fruta, Slater said the management team will continue listening to customers and keep growing to serve local families better.
