Company Markets And Sells Fruit Boxes

Company Markets And Sells Fruit Boxes The FruitGuys was started in the San Francisco Bay Area 27 years ago by Chris Mittelstaedt, who saw an opportunity to bring healthier food to offices. The family-owned and Certified B Corp company has since expanded, currently shipping fruit boxes from 11 locations to between 6,000 and 7,000 sites across the U.S. “Donations and volunteering are a large part of The FruitGuys’ mission,” says CEO Erin Mittelstaedt. “We want to give back, so 20% of our profits go to relieving hunger. By donating food to those in need and preventing waste, we also help divert greenhouse gas emissions (422 tons diverted in 2024).” All excess produce and snacks are donated, reducing waste while increasing access to healthy food for those in need. Since its inception, the company has been committed to small family farms. They believe farmers deserve support and celebration, so The FruitGuys try to buy directly from local farms and tell their story. Fruit products are mainly fresh, conventionally and organically grown fruit, although they also deliver some vegetables, plus dry fruit and nut snacks. Many of their snacks are sourced from brands that prioritize sustainability, use eco-friendly practices, and/or support environmental nonprofits. “We support sustainable agriculture and growing practices, plus recognize farms that don’t get certified because they’re not growing organically because of the cost,” Mittelstaedt says. “We believe in celebrating all these farms. Plus, local sourcing means lower transportation emissions.” The business is two-tiered, with most of its fruit boxes being delivered to company offices and break rooms for employees. Most of the remainder go to schools. “We try to buy the best of the season, hand-selecting our items so each client gets a mixed box of the highest quality fruit,” Mittelstaedt says. “Bananas are popular, which of course aren’t local, but then we try to mix it up and buy the season’s best for everything else, including citrus, oranges, apples and pears. In summer, we have more stone fruit like peaches, nectarines and plums. People are open to trying new things, so we have fun sharing unique items with our clients.” In addition to delivering fruit boxes, The FruitGuys offers nutritional education, tasting events, and farmers markets to provide methods of employee engagement for their clients. Its The FruitGuys Community Fund awards grants to small farms every year, specifically for sustainability projects like solar-powered equipment, expanding pollinator habitats and revitalizing soil. The company supported 20 farms with a total of $85,328 in grants in 2024. Since 2012, The FruitGuys has awarded 164 grants totaling $665,000 to small-scale farmers. Mittelstaedt explains that Covid hit the company hard, as they lost about 90% of their business, but they’ve rebounded since then, seeing companies and hybrid workers coming back. The FruitGuys fed 906,972 people in 2024. She estimates they’ve served 600,000 allocations of fruit and snacks in 2025. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, The FruitGuys, 901 Sneath Ln., Suite 210, San Bruno, Calif. 94066 (ph 877-378-4863; info@fruitguys.com; www.fruitguys.com).

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