Celebrating 25 Years of Family Business - Food that Works since 1998
fruitguys first production line in 1998

On February 16, 1998, we made our first deliveries of mixed fruit boxes to companies in San Francisco’s Embarcadero Center from Chris Mittelstaedt & Pia Hinckle’s one-bedroom apartment in the North Beach neighborhood.

We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs through the decades (can you say Dot Com crash? Financial meltdown? Global pandemic?). We are still here, still family-owned, and now a women-owned and led proud B Corporation.  We are so grateful to our present and past employees, clients, farm partners, vendors, and community partners for getting us here. Thank you all!!

How did it all start?

Hear The FruitGuys story straight from the OG Chief Banana, founder Chris Mittelstaedt
 (circa 2014)

FruitGuys History Gallery

Early Fruitguys wooden crates (1998)
First production line (1998) with handmade wooden crates
Early Fruitguys mixed fruit box
Early cardboard mixed fruit box
Early Patented FruitGuys box with tray
Early Patented FruitGuys box with tray
Photo: The FruitGuys 2022 box design
2022 box design
First pear guys logo 1998
First pear guys image 1998
Early FruitGuys peach guys image
Early FruitGuys peach guys image
Early FruitGuys stationary 1998
Original stationary 1998
FruitGuys PearGuys B Corp
Pear guys with B Corp logo
Founder Chris Mittelstaedt with first delivery truck 1998
Chris with the first delivery truck (1998)
Chris with his fruit babies & fleet (2001)
Chris with his fruit babies & fleet (2001)
Fruit Babies and ripening bananas (2004)
Fruit Babies and ripening bananas (2004)
FruitKids in front of FruitGuys wrapped Prius 2007
Fruit Kids with wrapped Prius
Photo: Chris the Chief Banana
Chris the Chief Banana
Photo: Banana facts with Shannan Slevin
Banana facts with Shannan Slevin

25 Years of Innovations & Awards

2024 Real Leaders Top Impact Companies
The FruitGuys was included in Real Leaders magazine's 2024 top impact companies for the second year in a row.
Best for the World 2022 Award for Community
The FruitGuys was awarded B Lab's Best for the World in the Community category in 2022.
National Fruit at Work Day

National Fruit at Work Day

The FruitGuys started National Fruit at Work Day, celebrated the first Tuesday of October, to promote the health and productivity benefits of consuming whole fresh fruit during the workday.

2023 Inc. Best in Business

The FruitGuys was recognized by Inc. magazine for its efforts to fight food insecurity in the U.S..

25 Years of Impact

Since 1998, The FruitGuys has been on a mission to support small farms and combat hunger. Purchasing from The FruitGuys helps sustain the small independent farmers we source from, helps feed people and heal the planet.  

We support this mission by donating a minimum value of 20% of our annual profits.

  • 18 million+ servings of fruit, veggies & snacks donated
  • 123 grants to small farms in 30+ states
Fare Start FG donations

Our 5Rs Promise

Your happiness and satisfaction is our top priority. If you’re ever not satisfied with what you have received, we will replace or credit you for those items. This goal of pleasing you is more than just a policy, it’s a five-step philosophy of customer care that we’ve built our business on and that guides our actions everyday.

  1. We’ll be Respectful of you at all times.
  2. We’ll be Responsive to your needs.
  3. We’ll be Realistic with you about what we can or cannot do.
  4. We’ll take personal Responsibility to provide a positive experience.
  5. We’ll work hard so that you’ll Remember us positively.

The FruitGuys 5Rs © Chris Mittelstaedt, 1999

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