Hollerbach’s

by Chip Colandreo

If great things really do come in threes, there’s no better proof than the Hollerbach family of Sanford and their family (pun very much intended) of local businesses.

The most significant trio are the Hollerbachs themselves – parents Theo and Linda and daughter Christina. Linda and Theo have been pillars of the local community since they first purchased a humble soup and sandwich shop on downtown Sanford’s First Street and rechristened it Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café in 2001. Their transformation of the restaurant into the jewel of First Street is often credited with the revival of Sanford’s downtown corridor, and Christina grew up seeing firsthand just what her family’s investment in their business and the greater community meant to everyone in Sanford. She is now the CEO of the Hollerbach operation and has quickly become a fixture in the Sanford community, a forceful philanthropist, and an emerging regional leader.

If you’re not already a regular at the Hollerbach’s restaurant, what are you waiting for? It is, quite simply, Central Florida’s premier German eatery with an authentic menu and atmosphere like no other. It’s an institution for those lucky enough to live in its backyard and a destination for foodies across the nation and around the world. But like a piping hot plate of potato pancakes, it’s just the appetizer. 

The success of Hollerbach’s restaurant eventually spawned two other German-themed businesses in downtown Sanford (for a total of three): an iconic German delicatessen, known as Hollerbach’s Magnolia Square Market, and Hollerbach’s Outfitters, Central Florida’s go-to source for authentic German clothing.

The trio forms the cornerstone of the Hollerbach’s enterprise, and likewise, it is the platform from which the family creates an immeasurable economic and philanthropic impact.

“What they do is absolutely crucial,” says Chris Cremen, a longtime Hollerbach’s employee and a product of what the family’s commitment to its team and town can mean. Chris began his career by picking up a dishwashing shift at the restaurant during a busy weekend. He fell in love with the family atmosphere inside the kitchen and worked his way up the organization. He’s now Christina’s executive assistant and frequently serves as the public face of Hollerbach’s in her stead. 

“When you think about the jobs they’ve created and sustained, all the college educations they’ve funded with those jobs, and everything they give back to so many different organizations in the community... it’s wholesome, it’s special,” says Chris.

In fact, across all of their businesses, the Hollerbachs employ more than 160 local residents (and growing fast) and serve more than 7,000 guests per week.

Christina explains the entire operation is built on rules passed down from her dad. There are, as you might have guessed, three of them: 1) Exceed Expectations. 2) Generate a Profit. 3) Create a Benefit. As CEO, Christina focuses much of her attention on #3.

“I don’t know any other way,” she says. “It’s how I was raised. It’s the example my parents set in their business and their lives. This community means so much to us, and we want to support it in any way we can.”

To that end, Christina has established the family’s nonprofit foundation, Hollerbach’s Has Heart, which they call 3-H (there’s that number again). The foundation supports numerous nonprofit organizations throughout Seminole County and Christina, herself, sits on more community and nonprofit boards than she can count.

Which brings us, finally, to an instance of the number three that sits most closely to the Hollerbachs’ hearts. It reflects everything they’ve built in Seminole County to date and the passion projects that Theo and Linda have embraced as they tiptoe into a well-earned retirement. First, the German businesses sit at the core, all under Christina’s watchful eye. Theo, meanwhile, has turned his enthusiasm for cycling into Bicikleta, a bicycle sales and repair shop in the heart of downtown Sanford. Linda, an avid artist, is spearheading a brand-new art gallery and studio called Hollerbach’s Art Haus, which will open soon on the second story above the Hollerbach’s restaurant. The gallery will feature the work of local artists and include a community workshop perfect for art classes and other gatherings. Proceeds from the gallery will go right back into the 3-H foundation.

“It all comes back to creating a benefit for the community while doing something you love,” says Christina. “Our passion is so strong, and we hope to make the community even stronger.”