A sip of a sports drink, a piece of cake, a glass of orange juice, a surfboard and a plastic cup seemingly have little in common.
But in a new survey of more than 3,000 Floridians from financial media company MarketBeat.com, those objects, beverages and treats are the most loved homegrown brands to come from the Sunshine State. The companies behind the top five, in order of most loved, are: Tropicana, Gatorade, Ron Jon Surf Shop Gear, Publix Bakery Products and Tervis.
A release along with the survey details the Florida fab five:
- Tropicana Orange Juice: The citrus industry has been pummeled of late, with greening impact crops and competition squeezing margins. But, the survey found, “Floridians love that their state’s sunshine is bottled up and poured on breakfast tables worldwide.” Tropicana was founded in Bradenton in 1947. The City of Bradenton agreed to a deal in May to buy more than 32 acres from Tropicana for $4.85 million, but some production will remain there.
- Gatorade: Was invented in Gainesville in 1965 at the University of Florida, initially to rehydrate football players.
- Ron Jon Surf Shop Gear: “While the first shop opened in New Jersey, the Cocoa Beach flagship,” which opened in 1963, the survey reports, “cemented Ron Jon as an iconic coastal lifestyle brand.”
- Publix Bakery Products: “From fresh pies to sub rolls, Publix baked goods have a cult following in the Southeast,” the report states. “Ask any Floridian, and they’ll swear no holiday or birthday is complete without a Publix cake on the table.”
- Tervis: The survey says Tervis is “beloved for keeping sweet tea cold and coffee hot in the Florida heat. For Floridians, a Tervis isn’t just a cup — it’s practically survival gear against the sweltering sun.” The business behind the brand has gone through some of its own survival issues over the past year: It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2024, exited bankruptcy in February and then was sold to an investment group in August. The new owners, JV2 Innovative Products LLC, have moved the production and company from Venice to Bradenton.
