Maria Petit Food Boutique

If you’re looking for a restaurant that feels like you’re visiting a dear friend of yours who made you a home-cooked meal, Maria Petit Food Boutique is the perfect spot. With antique wooden furniture painted in neutral and green colors, framed wall baskets with childhood trinkets and plants along the windowsills, it feels both welcoming and comforting from the moment you step in.

“You get here, and you don’t feel like you’re eating at a restaurant. You feel at home, as if you’re at a friend’s house,” said Maria Franco, “and that’s the vibe we went for.”

Growing up in Brazil, Maria shared about spending her vacation days at her family’s farm, where she learned how to plant herbs, pick fruit from the trees, and make delicious meals that have inspired her to this day. Although her entire family cooked, Maria shared that it was her grandmother who taught her all the cooking lessons. “My grandma was my biggest inspiration,” shared Maria, “and I used to spend all my vacation time with her. Even if my mom wouldn’t go, I would catch the bus and say, ‘I’m going.’”

Her favorite thing to make with her grandmother was a knotted Brazilian cheese bread called nozinho de queijo, which translates to “little knot cheese” of mozzarella. Meant to be eaten with coffee or tea, she shared that the small pastry wasn’t hard to make but that it took a lot of time because you had to prepare the dough, bake it, then dip it into a caramel-like sugar, and wait for it to crystallize. She laughed as she remarked, “That was our favorite thing because it took the whole afternoon to make, and then we would eat it in seconds.”

The name Maria Petit reflects the origin of Maria’s vision, when she began to create her own special bite-sized delicacies for others. She started with small treats such as the very famous Brazilian chocolate truffle dessert, the brigadeiro. She also makes Parmesan cookies, peanut butter protein balls, and delicious alfajores, which are delicate sugar cookies filled with guava or coated in chocolate with a creamy center, and coxinha, a Brazilian chicken croquette known on her menu as chicken potato balls. These appetizing bites were the start of Maria’s creations when she catered weddings and parties, bringing a taste of authenticity and uniqueness to every event.

As word spread, Maria decided to “get things going” and make more than just her small treats. She began to cook healthy, protein-rich meals in a commissary kitchen until the opportunity arose to purchase what would become the perfect space for her home-inspired dining experience. “It actually was a house,” Maria said. “We were able to acquire it, renovate everything, and here we are, seven years later.”

Before officially opening the food boutique five years ago, Maria shared that her food was inspired by her journey to better nourish her body while navigating a health issue. That’s when she began to cook low-carb meals made with the right nutrients to fuel her body. These meals included mushroom quinoa bowls, chicken pesto sandwiches, feijoada, which is a Brazilian sausage and beef stew, and Mediterranean salads.

As she cooked these life-changing dishes, a good friend of hers, Lisa Cleaves, a licensed esthetician in Winter Haven, told her, “Maria, you have to bring this to other people.” And so, she did.

She started to make customized meal plans for people who wanted to eat healthier and feel better. Those meal plans quickly became a success with people in the community, and they’ve continued to be one of the main reasons customers keep returning. Each entree can be allergen-adjusted and gluten or soy-free.

As Maria shares her specialty with others, she understands that life can get busy. On those long days when you’re tired and just want a reliable dinner made with high-quality ingredients, she provides exactly that and might even let you take the credit for it. “I wanted to have family meals that a mother can feel good about,” said Maria. “A meal that when she gets home, she can place it on a plate and say, ‘I made it.’”

With plans to extend her business hours, Maria hopes to make her comfort food more accessible not only to the people who dine in but also to people getting off work and looking for a delicious, clean, and flavor-filled meal. “These are the things that I have on my heart,” she said, “because then people aren’t just stopping anywhere and grabbing whatever.”

Since being raised on a farm and discovering the impact that diet changes can have on your health, Maria says it has deeply influenced how she views food and its quality. “My food is very homey and authentic, very farm-to-table,” she said. With a favorite of hers being the tuna garbanzo salad, Maria adds, “It’s a big thing for me that the food is actually healthy and good for you.”

As Maria continues to make food that nourishes your body, she’s also working to change the narrative about the misconception of healthy foods not satisfying your taste buds. “I don’t always like to use the word ‘healthy’ because it can scare people,” she explained. “They think it won’t taste good. But that’s what I’m trying to break.”

One of those inclusions on her menu are the juices that aren’t fully pressed, but are instead blended with the whole fruit to keep its nutrients. “I believe it’s better for you when you have the whole fruit in there,” she said, “so we can conserve all the good stuff and not only the sugar of the juice.” A customer favorite is the green juice, which is a blend of pineapple, ginger, spinach, and kiwi.

While many of her offerings focus on nutrition, Maria also embraces her customers’ desire for sweet indulgences. She bakes melt-in-your-mouth cakes like the dulce de leche pineapple cake, a longtime favorite of her daughter. She also makes white chocolate and strawberry cakes and the classic “grandma cakes,” as she calls them, such as classic chocolate, vanilla, and lemon.

In addition to her meals, you might notice an array of unique keepsakes, including crochet animals, teacups, and books. These eye-catching items aren’t just for decoration—they’re a meaningful extension of her dream. Maria creates customized gourmet gift boxes displayed in acrylic containers and wrapped with a bow. Each box is thoughtfully designed for any occasion, whether it’s welcoming a new baby, supporting a sick friend, or simply showing appreciation to someone you care about. When you request a gift box, it is carefully curated with homemade items like soups, baked goods, and specialty treats made in-house, along with handselected products sourced locally or through trusted partners. Rather than offering pre-made packages, Maria personalizes each box to reflect the needs and personality of the special person they’re for.

“It’s a thoughtful, gourmet gift,” says Maria. “You tell me about your friend—what they’re like—and we’ll customize something that fits their personality.”

From her beginnings as a young farm girl with a passion for cooking to now serving the Auburndale and Polk County communities with authentic, nutritious meals, Maria has created more than just a place to enjoy a bite to eat. She has built a space that extends her childhood memories into something deeply meaningful that reflects her passion for healthier and happier living. Through both her food and her boutique offerings, Maria Petit Food Boutique reflects the heart behind it all: helping people feel seen, nourished, and truly at home.

MARIA PETIT FOOD BOUTIQUE

227 E Lake Ave, Auburndale

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