Clermont, Florida: From Citrus Tower to White Castle

📖 Episode Description

On this episode of Chad Gallivanter, we spend a full Sunday exploring Clermont, Florida, one of Central Florida’s fastest-growing towns. From the rhythm of the downtown farmers market to the preserved history of the Clermont Historic Village, we trace the story of a community balancing its past with a booming present.

We sip the best soft-serve lemonade float you’ll ever have at Main Squeeze, wander through Everything Local, Sunshine Book Co., and the Downtown Exchange, and grab an afternoon boba at Teamont. Then it’s up to the top of the Florida Citrus Tower, once a must-see roadside attraction, now a living artifact of the citrus boom that built this region.

By evening, Clermont shows off its playful side: a “Princess Peach” soda with strawberry popping pearls at Swig, and the arrival of White Castle, the second in Central Florida, a slice of American pop culture with deep roots in fast-food history.

Clermont’s story is one of contrasts: citrus groves that vanished after the freezes of the 1980s, replaced with subdivisions and strip malls. Yet the spirit of community, the entrepreneurial spark, and the pride in history remain strong. This is Clermont today, not what it was in the 1950s, not yet what it will be in 2050.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Downtown Clermont’s weekly Sunday Farmers Market as a community anchor.

• The Clermont Historic Village — Kern House, Townsend House, and the early railroad depot.

• The Florida Citrus Tower — its heyday in the 1950s and how freezes changed the view forever.

• Local stops: Main Squeeze, Everything Local, Teamont Boba, Sunshine Book Co., Triangle Vinyl/Downtown Exchange.

• The playful rise of Swig’s “dirty sodas” — and a Princess Peach with popping pearls.

• White Castle in Clermont — why the sliders matter in American fast-food history and why this new location is different.

📍 Clermont Episode Locations

• Clermont Farmers Market
  📍 West Montrose Street (between Minneola Ave & 8th St), Clermont, FL 34711
  🌐 clermontfl.gov
  Every Sunday in Historic Downtown.

• Main Squeeze
  📍 763 W Montrose St, Clermont, FL 34711
  🌐 mainsqueezeclermont.com
  Lemonades, soft-serve floats.

• Everything Local
  📍 789 W Montrose St, Clermont, FL 34711
  🌐 everythinglocalco.com
  Lake County artisans, goods, and crafts.

• Teamont Boba
  📍 756 W Montrose St, Suite 101, Clermont, FL 34711
  🌐 Teamont Boba (Yelp)
  Locally owned boba tea shop.

• Triangle Vinyl @ The Downtown Exchange
  📍 639 8th St, Clermont, FL 34711
  🌐 trianglevinyl.com | thedowntownexchange.com
  Vinyl records + local vendor marketplace.

• Sunshine Book Co.
  📍 647 Lake Ave, Clermont, FL 34711
  🌐 sunshinebookco.com
  Independent bookstore, locally owned.

• Florida Citrus Tower / Citrus Coffee Company
  📍 141 N Highway 27, Clermont, FL 34711
  🌐 citrustower.com
  226-ft landmark built in 1956, with coffee shop in lobby.

• Presidents Hall of Fame
  📍 123 N US-27, Clermont, FL 34711
  🌐 Facebook
  Roadside museum of presidential memorabilia.

• Swig – Crossridge Exchange
  📍 2629 S US Highway 27, Clermont, FL 34711
  🌐 swigdrinks.com
  Utah’s “dirty soda” chain — home of the Princess Peach.

• White Castle – Clermont (Opening August 2025)
  📍 4551 Collina Terrace, Clermont, FL 34711
  🌐 fox35orlando.com coverage
  Second Florida White Castle, largest in world in Orlando.