Imperfect Produce expanding to Chicago

Imperfect Produce has expanded its coverage area to include Chicago.

“Chicago just feels like the right market,” said chief marketing officer Aleks Strub. “It’s a city that has an amazing food culture, that values where their food comes from, and we want to be a part of that.”

Deliveries in Chicago, the first Midwest market for Imperfect, will begin in early December.

The San Francisco company has added three other markets this year: Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland, Ore.

Imperfect reports that consumers in those cities have reacted enthusiastically to the company’s arrival.

“It’s been phenomenal,” Strub said. “We’ve grown so quickly in those newer markets, and the response has been amazing. People are excited to be getting more affordable produce delivered to their homes, they’re excited to be helping fight food waste and support farmers and help them have extra income that’s going to their pockets. It’s kind of a win across the board.”

Getting the supply to support the additional markets has not been a problem.

“Historically we haven’t been able to take as much as we’d like from (farmers),” Strub said. “There’s so much of it that we’re not ever close to hitting a ceiling on that. The more we can take from our farmers, the more we grow our customer base, the better.”

Imperfect plans to continue to expand in 2018.