Delivering fresh fruit as healthy snack alternative
Fresh fruit is good for you. It’s also good for Sharon Baker and Randy Schneider, who launched Fresh Fruit Delivery about a year ago in Boca Raton.
The business is a concept built around Schneider’s entrepreneurial insights and Baker’s passion to live a healthy lifestyle after losing her mother to cancer at a young age.
As a hospice volunteer, Baker says it’s about being serious in making lifelong nutritional choices and carrying that message to customers.
The start-up delivers fresh fruit, at various price points, to corporate clients for offices, conferences, business meetings and events.
At first, Bakerwould go to local produce markets to hand-pick apples, bananas, kiwi, plumbs, peaches and other seasonal fruits.
As business has grown to serve a variety of clients — including a law firm, a software company and an accounting firm — Baker purchases in volume from wholesalers and still fulfills orders by selecting the best out of the bunch.
The idea is to give options to employers whowant to provide theirworkers withan alternative to vending machine snacks or that box of doughnuts or pastries.
“That’s our biggest competition,” says Baker. “Fresh fruit is a new concept for many employers to think about.”
Employers should make knowledgebased decisions about wellness programs, says Marilyn Gordon, registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist at Nova SoutheasternUniversity.
“Fruit satisfies the sweet tooth, but also provides a host of vitamins,” said Gordon.
Being proactive to create a healthy workforce can benefit a self-insured company’s bottom line, says Gordon.
“It makes sense to help your employees stay healthy.,’’ she said. "Your business will flourish.”
Baker makes the pitch, seed by the numbers.
“I walk in with a six-pack of fruit and make a presentation,” said Baker. “I tell them they can show employees they care by instead of bringing in bagels and cream cheese at about 500 calories, offer an apple, at 50 calories, or a banana at 90 calo-
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