Wholesale produce mart pivots to delivery box service amid coronavirus pandemic
When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Elias Produce's business dropped by 90%, so they had make some changes in order to stay afloat.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Elias Produce has been open in Downtown Los Angeles' Produce Mart for 30 years, selling fruits and vegetables from local farmers in California. The wholesale mart's customer base is made up almost entirely of restaurants, bakeries, and grocers; when the coronavirus pandemic hit, their business dropped by 80-90%.
That's when they had the idea to use their surplus of produce while helping out those in need by offering a variety of produce boxes, delivered to your front door.
"We noticed that we have a lot of inventory," manager Carlos Franco told ABC7. "You know what could we do with this fruit? I just thought we could be helping a lot of people at home, especially elderly people that just can't leave their house right now."
Elias Produce offers several box choices including a berry box, a veggie box and even a salsa and guacamole box, among others. They are also partnering with several businesses during this time including acai bowl and smoothie truck Amazebowls, where you can purchase their granola and nut butters coupled with fruits from Elias Produce.
You can also purchase one of their donation boxes to be sent to an undocumented hospitality worker affected by COVID-19, in partnership with charity organization No Us Without You.
"After, we got some pretty nice messages. It felt pretty nice getting those types of messages from people you don't really know," Franco said.
If you would like to purchase or donate a box, you can visit eliasproduce.com
746 S. Market Ct.
Downtown Los Angeles
213.624.4045
