last bite

Robert is Here, And Everywhere

October 01, 2015

How many shakes do they turn out at Robert Is Here, anyway? Well, in just one day last December, they tallied 1,800 shakes and smoothies. And is someone really responsible for stocking, re-stocking and turning the fruit stand’s 3,000 jars so that the labels face the public? (Yes). These insights are part of a new book, Robert Is Here: Looking East Over a Lifetime. Author and historian Cesar Becerra sat down with Robert Moehling and his family, friends and customers to record the story of the little boy selling extra cucumbers at the corner of a South Dade farm field in 1959. “This is the story of a family that worships tropical fruit,” says Becerra. “It began with Robert and the novelty that a six-year-old was going to educate you, inform you, entertain you and then sell you fruit like you’ve never seen before.” More than 50 years later, Robert is still at it, delighting locals and tourists alike.

This book celebrates the family farm, but also shares their hardships, says Robert’s daughter-in-law, Heather Moehling. “Originally, the Robert Is Here stand came out of necessity – the family had to put food on the table. It was a desperate moment.” Other disasters – Hurricane Andrew, a shocking crime, encroaching development in farm fields are all here. So are the moments of joy in the stories of a large multi-generational farm family, each playing an essential role in the business, right down to the grandchildren who learn how to stack fruits just so. At Robert Is Here, the mango doesn’t fall far from the tree.