Written and interviewed by Kristy Gomez
Atlanta’s Old 4th Ward wakes up slowly, like most Southern neighborhoods. Dawn breaks, the crickets stop. Around 9:00AM, tourists begin arriving in Atlanta’s historic Martin Luther King district, and residents cross their porches to start the day. At the same time, the doors of Lottafrutta open and the smell of Cuban coffee tempts passersby.
Lottafrutta is a traditional Mexican frutería, located on a high-traffic corner of Auburn Avenue. Myrna Perez, Lottafrutta’s founder and owner, opened the rst of three Lottafrutta locations in 2009, and is poised to expand her fruit-based empire in the coming months. Along with her skilled staff, each decked out in “fruitologists” scrubs, Myrna has created a sanctuary for fruit lovers, whether you’re a tropical fruit novice or an extra from Fruit Hunters.
BUT WHY A FRUTERÍA IN ATLANTA?
“Honestly, Lottafrutta came from missing the fruterías in my Texas neighborhood and along the Mexican border,” said Perez. It’s the fresh cut tropical fruit cups and exotic fruit smoothies that set Lottafrutta apart from the city’s growing legion of juice peddlers. The Latin-inspired offerings that make up Lottafrutta’s menu highlight a cornucopia of tropical fruits including guanabana, lulo, passion fruit, Andean blackberry and more. Robust and nutrient dense, each of the fruit cups are big enough to serve as a light meal or snack, especially pre or post work out.
Life at Lottafrutta is frenetic by design. The hustle and bustle of customers, the bright and colorful decor, the smell of fruit and grilled sanduches, and the music of Willie Colon all come together in a way that’s familial, much like Myrna’s childhood home in South Texas as the middle of ve sisters. Her warm and welcoming personality sets the tone for an environment built on cultivating community. Lottafrutta frequently serves as a meeting place for Atlanta locals, tness groups, community leaders and tourists alike. The breakneck schedule of being an independent business owner, managing Lottafrutta’s original location, plus locations in Harts eld-Jackson Airport and Alpharetta, and trying to live a balanced life requires a daily commitment to tness and self-care.
Myrna’s solo work out routines are purposely stripped down to allow for quiet focus. Even at the gym, she brings her own equipment – kettle bell, sandbag and an Equalizer resistance bar – working in the open spaces outside. Her preference for solitary work outs is an essential part of her day and a time to quiet her mind.
THE POWER OF FRUIT
“Power bars” and protein shakes t easily into a busy lifestyle lled with work, relationships and everything in between. For a fitness-focused entrepreneur, falling into the routine of accessible and no maintenance work out fuel would be easy – unless you’re the owner of a frutería.
The Lottafrutta’s fruit cup menu is the rst clue to how Myrna fuels her highly intense work-outs. Of the ve complex fruit cups offered, the Limonatta is a clear stand-out, and with good reason; it was the Limonatta that started Lottafrutta.
“Everything included in the Limonatta is there for a reason; each fruit has a benefcial property that’s perfect for supporting a work out.”
With its seven fruits, raw cut coconut and guajillo chili, the cup is an energizing, avorful, nutrient-dense experience, reminiscent of Myrna’s sensory memories of home: sweet, salty, sour and spicy. “It reminds me of home and family, which both equate to LOVE. I can’t live without either.” her highly intense work-outs. Of the ve complex fruit cups offered, the Limonatta is a clear stand-out, and with good reason; it was the Limonatta that started Lottafrutta.
“Everything included in the Limonatta is there for a reason; each fruit has a beneficial property that’s perfect for supporting a work out.”
With its seven fruits, raw cut coconut and guajillo chili, the cup is an energizing, flavorful, nutrient-dense experience, reminiscent of Myrna’s sensory memories of home: sweet, salty, sour and spicy. “It reminds me of home and family, which both equate to LOVE. I can’t live without either.”
