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
25 Years of Innovations & Awards
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.
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
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.
- We’ll be Respectful of you at all times.
- We’ll be Responsive to your needs.
- We’ll be Realistic with you about what we can or cannot do.
- We’ll take personal Responsibility to provide a positive experience.
- We’ll work hard so that you’ll Remember us positively.
The FruitGuys 5Rs © Chris Mittelstaedt, 1999
The FruitGuys Magazine
How to Build Healthy Food Habits at Work or Home
If you’re struggling to build healthy food habits, that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. It might just mean that the environment around you
Why Employee Appreciation Gifts Matter in 2024
If your company is tightening its budget, it can be tempting to cross employee appreciation gifts off the to-do list. But those gifts might matter
Fruit & Snack Gift Boxes: Healthy Employee Gifts Are Here!
Can you believe it’s Q4 already? Before you know it, your coworkers will be picking up turkeys, buying new candles, and humming holiday jingles between
National Fruit at Work Day Highlights: Fun With FruitFits!
Yesterday was one of my favorite days of the year—National Fruit at Work Day! Every year on the first Tuesday of October, we’re honored to
These Snacks Made by Disabled Workers Empower With Each Bite
In 1984, Phil Kosak—the founder of Carolina Fine Snacks—was having trouble keeping workers on staff to make his cheese curls, pork rinds, and other bites.
Asian Pear Farms From Coast to Coast
I absolutely love Asian pears. They come in dozens of varieties, like Hosui and Shinseiki to name a few. Some have thin yellow or yellow-green
