From Restaurants to Homes: How Chicago’s George Fourkas Is Selling Fresh Produce During a Crisis
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The recent events have kept many people at home except for essential trips to the grocery store, and even those trips have totally changed.
Restaurants have faced food challenges as well: as restrictions limit in-person dining, many restaurants have cut back on how much fresh food they order, leaving beautiful produce on the shelf, uneaten.
George Fourkas, a wholesale produce shopper for some of Chicago’s most upscale restaurants, has found a perfect way to bridge the two groups.
Fourkas experienced a massive drop in business due to the recent events. This disruption left him with not only a huge drop in revenue, but an ample supply of produce with no customers to buy it.
Noticing both the changes occurring at grocery stores and within his own industry, he launched GFP Chicago to stabilize his revenue and provide supermarket shoppers with a safe, hassle-free alternative.
Through GFP Chicago, Fourkas applies his experience and connections in produce sourcing to feed Chicagoans and beyond. These customers can choose from a small or large box of fresh produce ordered through GFP Chicago’s website and shipping is free. All orders are packed fresh the next morning and typically delivered next day.
Fourkas and his team then deliver these boxes directly to customers’ doorsteps. For these customers, ordering from GFP Chicago means getting high-quality produce without trips to the supermarket, and for Fourkas, GFP Chicago means continuing to do what he loves for a new audience.
That audience also loves what Fourkas does. GFP Chicago’s produce boxes tend to sell out quickly, and the two-month-old company is already searching for a larger warehouse to store its produce.
One glance at GFP Chicago’s Facebook page turns up a wealth of glowing reviews, which often include pictures and customers’ own recipes. Additional reviews on GFP Chicago’s website are just as enthusiastic.
Here’s just a few testimonials about GFP Chicago:
“I really look forward to getting my box of fruit and veggies each week! Saves me time shopping and seems even fresher than produce at grocery store.” – Nancy, Oak Park, IL
“The fruits and veggies were very fresh and the box was much larger than expected. Will definitely be ordering again! Highly recommend!” – Gillian, Chicago
“Everything we’ve received in our two orders has been perfect. I’ve recommended it to everyone who will listen and definitely plan to order again.” – Jennifer, Hoffman Estates, IL
Fourkas plans to continue operating GFP Chicago even as Illinois, and surrounding states like Wisconsin and Indiana reopen. If the box’s current customer base and sales numbers are any indication, demand for GFP Chicago’s produce will continue to rise. Act fast, though, because boxes sell out fast!