From humble fruit stand to top Highway 152 attraction, Casa de Fruta embraces 115 years of innovation | Bartell's Backroads

From humble fruit stand to top Highway 152 attraction, Casa de Fruta embraces 115 years of innovation | Bartell's Backroads

Casa de Fruta began as a modest fruit stand along Pacheco Pass near Hollister, but over the decades it has grown into a sprawling roadside attraction for travelers crossing California’s Highway 152.

The Pacheco Pass is a steep grade linking California’s Central Valley and Central Coast. On that stretch of highway, places to stop for fuel, food or a restroom are limited.

“My grandmother said, if you build a restroom, people will stop,” co-owner Gene Zanger said. “They built that restroom.”

What started as a seasonal cherry stand eventually evolved into what visitors now know as Casa de Fruta — complete with food, wine tasting, rides, a train depot and even a turtle pond.

Zanger said the roots of the business trace back to orchards planted in 1908 by his immigrant Italian family. Years later, his grandmother and her three teenage sons turned the farming operation into a roadside fruit stand.

“My dad is one of the three brothers that started what people know now as Casa de Fruta; they originally started farming,” Zanger said.

The original cherry stand was built beneath an oak tree along the lonely stretch of Pacheco Pass where travelers often needed a break.

“So right here, this oak tree is where the cherry stand was originally sited,” Zanger said. “So the fruit stand here at Casa de Fruta is authentic to the place where everything started, here on Pacheco Pass.”

As more travelers stopped, customers began asking for additional services.

“So they built a restroom,” Zanger said. “And then once people stopped and they started asking for, ‘Do you have something to drink?’ And they said, ‘Sure, we could do that.’ ‘Do you have something to eat?’ ‘Yeah, I think we can do that too.’”

The seasonal stand eventually became a year-round destination.

“We like to tell people you’re on your way to everywhere,” Zanger said.

Zanger said his father and uncles continued expanding the business by embracing new ideas.

“My dad and his brothers, they were always very open to what was new and what they could accomplish,” he said.

That openness also led to some national attention. Zanger said his father’s cup-flipping trick was featured on David Letterman’s “Stupid Human Tricks” segment.

“Well, David Letterman picked it up for Stupid Human Tricks, which is a segment that he had years ago when he was on the show,” Zanger said.

Today, one of Casa de Fruta’s most popular attractions is its wine tasting.

“Casa de Fruta has a history of producing both fruit and varietal wines,” Zanger said. “We’ve done that since the early 70s. One of our more popular fruit wines is the pomegranate wine.”

The sweet, refreshing pomegranate wine has become a must-try for visitors passing through.

From orchards and fruit stands to amusement rides and wine tasting, Casa de Fruta has continued to expand over the years by responding to what travelers wanted. Zanger said the family has a habit of saying yes to new entrepreneurial ideas.

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