Sunday, March 6, 2011

Key West Today: Faustos Food Palace




Faustos is mentioned in MY HEAD HURTS, MY FEET STINK AND I DON'T LOVE JESUS by Jimmy Buffett on the Havana Daydreaming album.

Got to get a little orange juice,
And a Darvon for my head.
I can't spend all day,
Baby, layin' in bed.
I'm goin' down to Fausto's
to get some chocolate milk.
Can't spend my life in your sheets of silk
I've got to find my way
Crawl out and greet the day.



"When Faustino Castillo came from Havana, in 1910, to become one of hundreds of cigar workers in Key West, he had not the slightest idea that he would later become one of the leading grocers of this little coral island. But such is the fact regarding this genial gentleman.

For fourteen years "Fausto" has been helping to supply groceries for Key West tables. Like many another successful man in the business world, Fausto began on a small scale. His first grocery store was opened in 1926 at Packer and Virginia streets in a little building that had been a house. As business grew he was required to remodel and enlarge the store. This growth continued for eleven years until such a time that Fausto could no longer "stretch" his building to meet his needs. In August, 1936, he took over the ground floor of a large house at 600 Fleming Street and converted it into an attractive store. This downtown place was what Fausto had always wanted. Now he was near the center of the business district. His store was handy, parking was plentiful, and he had room to display his wares.

Proudly he served various customers who come to his place for their daily food. Writers, artists, housewives, husbands, children, natives and visitors - all find courtesy and a wide selection of groceries at Fausto's. Specializing in fancy foods, he sends to Cuba for tropical fruits, to the far-flung markets of the world for the finest cheeses, to New York for other delicacies. Also from Cuba come special jellies, preserves and marmalades. The northern visitor finds the everyday tropical fruits in his store strange and exciting - and very fascinating. In season, Fausto sells such delicious fruits as the soursop, sapodilla, mango, plantain, pineapple, sugar apple, avocado, Jamaica apple, papaya, pomegranate and tamarind.

Faustino Castillo was born in Havana, Cuba, November 29, 1888. He attended private school in that city. Following the completion of his studies he was employed in Havana by the cigar industry. Coming to Key West in 1910, he continued here with the same industry until he entered the grocery business. Mr. Castillo married Miss Ana Luisa Alvarez, a Key West girl, and they have one daughter, Ana Luisa. Mr. Castillo is Vice-president of the Order of Caballero de la Luz, a Mason and a member of the Elks."