Every crisis is an opportunity, and we took the crisis of our truck breaking down (with an estimated $1,400 repair bill) as an opportunity to try to get as much delivered as possible. The hardest part, we thought, would be finding affordable and good-quality produce. However, that problem solved itself when we worked out a wholesale agreement with Hyde Park Produce up on 53rd street. We would run into Larry or his father, Yo-Yo, at the produce market in the morning anyway, and now for a small mark-up they are delivering boxes of produce (and smaller amounts of loose greens, which were not able to carry before) to us four times a week.<\/p>\n
After two weeks, this seems to be working out well. We’ve been able to maintain our breadth of inventory (even expanded it), and we are committed to using the money saved from truck expenses to cover the small mark-up (about $1\/box) rather than raising prices. Plus now we have an eye with 20-years experience in the retail produce business picking our produce, which will probably result in higher quality.<\/p>\n
We plan on going to the market at least once a month in a rented vehicle, to maintain our relationships with the wholesalers and keep our ear to the ground regarding the produce world.<\/p>\n