One of the things I love about my IE visits is seeing all of the growth. When the Arrow train came in a few years back I knew this whole area would have an uptick in new restaurants and make a mark in Redlands being a new travel destination. All of the existing warehouses near the train station are transitioning into new restaurants and bars, including Redlands Public Market. Which used to be the historic 1980 packing house – The Mutual Orange Company was one of several packing houses affiliated with the Mutual Orange Distributors, a cooperative formed by local growers in the early 1900’s. By 1920 citrus was one of the top agricultural commodities in Southern California. Oranges fetche higher prices than any other time in history-which in that season was about 4 cents per pound for the fancy grade. So what better way to show off Redlands ever growing food scene with a historic Landmark, and great new foodies location.
History:
Redlands, A Monolith of the Citrus Boom – RPM resides in what was once the Mutual Orange Distributors (MOD) Packing House. A part of Redlands’ rich Citrus Industry History, much of that history is still present today in the distinct architecture, scenery, and accents inside and around the building.
Standing Strong – Some brick walls date back to 1908 when the Packing House was expanded and joined the Mutual Orange Distributors, a competitor to Sunkist. All buildings in downtown Redlands were required by law to be made of brick until the great Long Beach earthquake of 1931, when the decorative brick parapet was removed (or fell during the earthquake), and the exterior brick stuccoed over. A preservation company attempted to remove the stucco to return the building to a brick façade, but it turns out 100-year-old stucco should be left as is.
Downtown Redlands, one of the epicenters of the navel orange industry, historically and even today has the largest array of citrus-heritage buildings in Southern California. At the Citrus industry’s peak in 1928 there were 14 packing houses in downtown Redlands. Eight have been demolished and the “MOD Packing House” was heading towards the same fate when, following community protest, the city elected to sell the derelict structure for redevelopment.
A small portion of this packing house was originally built in 1894 as Packing House Number 2343214. It was upgraded in 1900 and again in 1906 by the founder Arthur Gregory when it was rebranded and affiliated with Mutual Orange Distributors, an early competitor of Sunkist.
In 1929 MOD reorganized as a non-profit organization, the Redlands Mutual Orange Company, and that year handled about 224,000 packed boxes of citrus fruit and up to four railroad box cars per day along the Southern Pacific rail line (now abandoned on the south side of the building). To accommodate the high demand, in 1930 the sum of $30,000 dollars was spent to upgrade to a new steel truss and corrugated metal roof with north facing clerestory windows, creating the Packing House we see from the inside today.
This Packing House ceased operations by 1960 and thereafter housed a variety of businesses until it was abandoned in 2000 and finally sold to the City of Redlands in 2006. Arteco Partners was able to purchase the building from the city and after several years of planning and an $11 million dollar renovation from top to bottom (following Secretary of Interior Standards for Historic Rehabilitation) finally reopened Packing House Number 2343214 as Redlands Public Market in February 2025.
Here’s What I Tried:
Drinks:
Cappuccino, with the perfect swirled heart on top.
Organic Coconut Water, this water is very hydrating and just went so well with my glorious brunch.
Sweet:
Vegan Cookie Pandan Biscoff, this cookie is so soft, with a great dab peanut butter on top.
Brunch Items:
Ube Cloud Pancake, this dish is otherworldly, you just have to try it and you will see what I mean.
Avocado Toast, there are many establishments that make avocado toast, but with their sunny side up egg on top – the yokes just oozes goodness.
The healthy Omelet, with spinach, tomato, and cheese, it’s a real filling breakfast item.
TUS Breakfast Sandwich, a great rendition of this main staple in most breakfast restaurants, but this sandwich has all of the bells and whistles, and they do not scrimp on their eggs and bacon.
Rendang Curry Bowl, if you’re in the mood for curry in the morning, then try this one.
Swai Fish Rice Bowl, I just loved the flavor of this dish, it was so satisfying and it really doesn’t matter if it’s more of a lunch item, it was just amazing.
Garlic Cream Cheese croissant, this is by far the best croissant ever with its novel ingredients baked into one gorgeous creation, it just is so tasty and delicious.
Their food is really spectacular, they have many other locations, so the customer base pretty much knows what they have to offer. It’s worth a trip to check it out. Portions are very big – so come hungry.
“Brunch so good your taste buds will high five.”
Take Ur Seat Lite
Redlands Public Market
330 3RD Street, Unit 4
Redlands, CA. 92374
https://www.redlandspublicmarket.com/take-ur-seat Some Content Was Taken Off Of Their Website
