Frequently Asked Questions
Why Buy from The FruitGuys?
Our family business is in service to your health and happiness, whether you are ordering for your business, home, school, university, organization, multiple offices across the country, or .
- Fresh fruit consumption is one of the best ways to increase general health and immune function.
- Family-owned and operated since 1998.
- Fast delivery. You’ll receive your order generally within 48 hours of receiving your shipping receipt.
- Farm fresh fruit. Our regional distribution hubs across the country allow us to source the seasonal fruit closest to you from local farms and wholesalers whenever possible, which also reduces shipping costs and climate impact.
- Food Safe. Food safety-certified by Primus GFS, the global leader in food safety practices.
- Organics. CCOF-certified organic handler.
- Zero Food Waste. All of our imperfect and excess fruit is donated weekly to local food banks and charities instead of being sold on a secondary market. More than 18 million servings donated since 2000.
- Relationships with more than 200 small farms and vendors nationwide, 75% of which have worked with us for 5 years or longer.
- Certified B Corporation. Buying from The FruitGuys sustains the small independent farmers and vendors we support and source from and the hunger-relief non-profits we donate to through our GoodWorks programs. We donate a minimum value of 20% annual profits through weekly produce donations to hunger relief organizations near our regional hubs; and through annual environmental stewardship grants to small farms via our non-profit, The FruitGuys Community Fund.
- What is a B Corp? Certified Benefit Corporations are for-profit businesses that meet the highest standards of independently-verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and accountability to balance profit and purpose.
What kind of fruit do you deliver? Do you deliver more than fruit?
The best fruit on earth! We deliver a variety of high-quality and unique fruit mixes, fruit and vegetable boxes, seasonal speciality kits, and healthy snacks. Each week our expert buyers find the best-tasting produce available to curate our fruit and vegetable mixes. See what’s in each region’s weekly mix.
Where do you deliver?
We deliver everywhere in the continental U.S., plus Alaska and Hawaii. We regret that we do not offer delivery to Puerto Rico at this time. Enter your zip code to see which products are available in your region (any shipping charges are shown at checkout).
What is The FruitGuys 100% satisfaction guarantee?
If you’re ever unhappy with the quality of the fruit we deliver, we will replace it or issue a credit immediately, no hassle. Please let us know of any quality issues so we can improve our own policies and procedures.
Subscription Options
Having a subscription means no more worries about an empty fruit bowl. Choose your delivery frequency: one-time, weekly, every other week, or every four weeks. Cancel a subscription at any time.
What is the deadline for order changes?
We require email or phone notification at least two business days prior to the delivery date to guarantee any changes.
Where is The FruitGuys located?
We are headquartered in South San Francisco with additional locations in Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Phoenix.
Can I make changes to my order online?
Not yet. We are working on upgrading our site to allow order changes. Please contact us directly to change your mix, reschedule or forward your delivery to a charity, or to cancel an order.
- info@fruitguys.com
- call 1-877-FRUIT-ME (877-378-4863)
- Chat with us
- Complete our subscription cancellation form
Can I return, reuse, or recycle the packaging?
We’re not currently able to offer a box return program. However, all of our fruit and snack boxes may be recycled or reused. Our recyclable packaging includes instructions on how to recycle it correctly. The large fruit and snack boxes are handy for storing file folders. They’re the perfect size! The smaller boxes with dividers are great for packing delicate items like cups, knickknacks, or ornaments.
Contact us if you have further questions.
Is your packaging sustainable?
All of our packaging is designed with sustainability in mind. In 2021 we made changes to our box design to reduce the volume of material needed for our packaging and minimize environmental impact.
- Our packaging is recyclable and provides instructions on how to recycle it correctly
- Our packaging is non-toxic
- Our packaging materials meet B Lab’s independent standards for environmental impact
- Our packaging materials are designed to have less overall environmental impact than common alternatives
As an Essential Service Provider with 22+ years of food safety experience, your health has always been our number one priority. We are food safety-certified and regularly audited by Primus GFS, an industry leader in food safety certification. For many years prior to the pandemic, our production crews have followed Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), including the use of gloves, smocks and hairnets.
Should I wash the fruit?
Yes. We have always recommended washing your fruit (and your hands!) before consumption. Whether organic or conventional, fruit should be rinsed under cool running water immediately before you enjoy it. If you wash produce in batches, be sure to dry each piece well with a paper towel; wetness encourages mold and bacteria growth. Berries should be refrigerated and rinsed in cold water just before eating. The University of Maine recently posted these helpful steps to help people keep their raw fruits and vegetables safe:
- Wash your hands with hot soapy water before and after preparing food.
- Clean your countertop, cutting boards, and utensils after peeling produce and before cutting and chopping. Wash kitchen surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.
- Do not wash produce with soaps or detergents.
- Use clean potable cold water to wash items.
- For produce with thick skin, use a vegetable brush.
- Produce with a lot of nooks and crannies like cauliflower, broccoli or lettuce should be soaked for 1 to 2 minutes in cold clean water.
- Some produce such as raspberries should not be soaked in water. Put fragile produce in a colander and spray it with distilled water right before eating.
- After washing produce, dry it with a clean paper towel. This can remove more bacteria.
- Eating on the run? Fill a spray bottle with distilled water and use it to wash apples and other fruits.
- Once cut or peeled, refrigerate produce as soon as possible at 40ºF or below.
Enhanced COVID-19 Safety Procedures
- Masks: Any staff working around other people wears a covering over their mouth and nose in addition to GMP gear.
- Social Distancing: Staff stays at least 6 ft apart. Shifts are staggered as needed to ensure social distancing.
- Staff Health Screening: Before entering a facility each day, employees are screened and temperatures are taken. Any employees exhibiting fevers or symptoms are not allowed to return to work until symptom-free or have been cleared by their doctor.
- Remote Work: Any staff whose work does not require physical presence in a facility is working remotely.
- No Box Returns: Our box return program has been suspended.
Rigorous Daily Cleaning Protocol
All surfaces touched by staff, including equipment, trucks, food contact surfaces, etc. are sanitized after use.
- Clean with Natural™ all purpose cleaner
- Sanitize with EPA-approved, COVID-killing sanitizer Defend™
- Food contact surfaces get additional final sanitizing process
- Examples of items cleaned daily:
- Pallet jacks & box cutters
- Temp & date stamp guns
- Other thermometers
- Clip boards & pens
- Carts
- Tables
- Packing lines and Rollers
- Examples of items cleaned daily:
Receiving
Employees unload pallets from delivery vehicles and bring all products into and out of facilities. No outside delivery people are allowed inside. Receivers remain at least 6 ft apart at all times with workflow organized to allow distancing.
Production/Box packing
We have lengthened production lines and/or limited the number of people on them to ensure a minimum 6 ft distance between workers.
Deliveries
- All FruitGuys drivers are assigned to a single vehicle for their use on a given day.
- All delivery vehicles have hand sanitizer, gloves, sanitizing wipes, trash bags (for glove and wipe disposal) and masks.
- Drivers wear gloves & masks to deliver boxes.
- Drivers avoid signed deliveries, leaving boxes near front doors for contactless delivery.
- Drivers wipe down their vehicles before, during and after their shifts.
- All contracted couriers (from FedEx to independents) are asked to follow similar protocol.
We’ve always recommended that you wash your fruit (and your hands!) before consumption.
Should I wash the fruit?
Yes. We have always recommended washing your fruit (and your hands!) before consumption. Whether organic or conventional, fruit should be rinsed under cool running water immediately before you enjoy it. If you wash produce in batches, be sure to dry each piece well with a paper towel; wetness encourages mold and bacteria growth. Berries should be refrigerated and rinsed in cold water just before eating. The University of Maine recently posted these helpful steps to help people keep their raw fruits and vegetables safe:
- Wash your hands with hot soapy water before and after preparing food.
- Clean your countertop, cutting boards, and utensils after peeling produce and before cutting and chopping. Bacteria from the outside of raw produce can be transferred to the inside when it is cut or peeled. Wash kitchen surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.
- Do not wash produce with soaps or detergents.
- Use clean potable cold water to wash items.
- For produce with thick skin, use a vegetable brush to help wash away hard-to-remove microbes.
- Produce with a lot of nooks and crannies like cauliflower, broccoli or lettuce should be soaked for 1 to 2 minutes in cold clean water.
- Some produce such as raspberries should not be soaked in water. Put fragile produce in a colander and spray it with distilled water right before eating.
- After washing, dry with a clean paper towel. This can remove more bacteria.
- Eating on the run? Fill a spray bottle with distilled water and use it to wash apples and other fruits.
- Once cut or peeled, refrigerate as soon as possible at 40ºF or below.
What kind of fruit will be in my box?
We offer organic and conventional options for our main fruit mixes:
- the Staples, which includes bananas, apples, citrus and a surprise seasonal fruit; and
- the Harvest, our biggest offering of seasonal fruit, including berries and stone fruit in summer, plus bananas.
Each week our produce buyers choose what’s most delicious locally and create a custom regional mix. We are food safety-certified as well as a CCOF-certified organic produce handler. Our regional distribution hubs across the country allow us to source the seasonal fruit closest to you from local farms and wholesalers whenever possible, which reduces shipping costs and climate impact.
To see exactly what is in your fruit box this week, visit our mix pages and find your region, then choose your mix.
Is The FruitGuys certified organic?
Yes, The FruitGuys is a certified organic food handler through CCOF. All of our organic fruit mixes follow strict USDA protocol for sourcing and handling of organic produce.
Do you have your own farms?
We do not have our own farms but we do have long-term relationships with small farmers and suppliers across the country. We have partnerships with more than 200 small farms and 75% of them have worked with us for 5 years or longer. We also support sustainable agriculture through our nonprofit The FruitGuys Community Fund, which provides annual grants to small farms for sustainability projects.
How much fruit comes in my crate?
Our fruit mixes are available in mini (9 servings), small (16 servings), medium (25 servings), and large (50 servings). The actual number of pieces of fruit varies depending on what varieties are in the mix each week but, in general, we consider one piece of fruit equal to one serving. If we add small-sized fruits like pixie tangerines or apricots, we include two pieces per serving; one clamshell of berries is counted as 2–3 servings, and one bag of grapes is 4–6 servings, depending on the variety and farm.
How do you choose what fruit goes in my box?
Each box contains an assortment of the best and most unique fruit available that week. This means the contents of your fruit crate will vary depending on what’s in season, what’s being picked that week, and what looks and tastes best to our buying team. For example, if rain has adversely affected a region where our organic strawberries are grown, we may not have strawberries that week because the best was not available.
Can I customize my fruit mix?
We do our best to accommodate customizations to your order. Let us know your request by emailing us at least 3 days prior to delivery. Some charges may apply.
Where does The FruitGuys fruit come from?
The FruitGuys produce is sourced from small farms whenever seasonally possible and trusted vendors near our regional production hubs. Due to seasonality, weather and pricing constraints, we are not able to source exclusively from these farms year round, and supplement our fruit sourcing with quality wholesale partners. To see which states your produce is coming from, visit The FruitGuys “What’s in the Mix” page.
How long does the fruit last?
Different fruits have different shelf lives. We deliver bananas with green tips to accommodate both the tastes of those who like to eat them firmer and those who like them more ripe. Stone fruit and pears are shipped while they are still firm, as they are less likely to bruise during transit and will continue to ripen. Other fruit, berries for example, should be eaten within two to three days of delivery. Items such as apples or oranges will last a week or more depending on how they are stored. See Fresh Fruit Storage & Ripening Tips for more information.
Why is some FruitGuys fruit smaller than grocery store fruit?
We choose our fruit based on flavor. Smaller fruit often has less water in it but the same amount of sugar as the larger fruit you may see in a store, resulting in a much richer taste. We send our buyers to visit farms, meet farmers, and taste fresh produce at its peak before we buy, and we pride ourselves on offering fruit with superior flavor.
Snack Allergen Information
Our Thoughtful Snack mixes vary each week. View this week’s Thoughtful Snack mix list to see regularly updated allergen warnings.
Where do you deliver?
The FruitGuys ships nationwide, with Monday through Friday delivery in many areas.
Do I have to pay for shipping?
We leverage our regional hubs to find you the least expensive delivery options available. We offer free shipping to some locations. Any shipping costs are displayed in your shopping cart after entering your product choice and delivery zip code.
We regret that we do not offer shipping at this time to Puerto Rico.
Shipping to multiple locations? Contact us for a custom quote.
Subscription delivery options
You can choose your delivery frequency: one-time, weekly, every other week, or every four weeks. Having a subscription means no more worries about an empty fruit bowl. Cancel your subscription at any time.
How soon will my order arrive?
You’ll receive your order generally within 48 hours of receiving your invoice and shipping receipt. Shipping delays may occur due to high volume and labor shortages. We do our best to keep you informed of any changes. Contact us at anytime for updates on your order.
Do you deliver on holidays?
We are closed for federal holidays. If your regular delivery is on a day of the week that is a holiday, we will contact you about changing it to the next day. You can also cancel or forward your order to a local charity through our Donate a Crate program. Contact us to know more.
I have a question about my bill, who do I contact?
You can contact our accounting department any time at ar@fruitguys.com.
When will my credit card be charged?
A PRE-AUTHORIZATION for the amount of your order will appear on your credit card statement–this is not a charge but a hold on available funds to secure your order. YOUR CREDIT CARD WILL NOT BE CHARGED UNTIL YOUR DELIVERY SHIPS. Once your credit card is charged, a separate email will be sent to you with a receipt attached.
I have more questions!
Our friendly customer service team is here for you! Real people in California answer the phone, reply to emails, and social DMs:
- Monday–Friday, 6 a.m.–5:00 p.m., PST
- Closed major U.S. Holidays
- Closed Thursday & Friday of Thanksgiving week
In the event of a fruit emergency at your office, you can reach our emergency response staff at 415-335-5449.
