Earl’s Organic expands; fair trade banana program to grow
Earl’s Organic Produce, San Francisco, is expanding into space it originally occupied at the San Francisco Market, giving the company almost 90,000 square feet.
The company hasn’t finalized plans for the entire space, but Earl Herrick, owner and president, said it will be expanding its fair trade banana program.
“We do know we want to expand the banana program, probably doubling our commitment to the banana rooms,” Herrick said. “It’s a very important item for us and also we’ve designated it a fair trade item, which creates a very specific identification and our customers align with us."
Earl’s Organic plans to expand other organic fair trade commodities as well, he said.
The building the company occupies was completed in 2000, and was the first addition to the San Francisco Market since it was established in 1963. Herrick said the market is a single-level “old school” type market. The addition housed a Whole Foods, and Earl’s Organic moved into the multi-level building in 2006, occupying 33,000 square feet.
In 2014, Earl’s Organic vacated that space, moving into 55,000 square feet in the same building. It recently took over its original space.
“We always had our eye on it, so when the opportunity came, we took it,” Herrick said. “ … We’re in the early stages of really understanding how we want to use this space.”
Considerations include temperature zones for different fruits and vegetables. The company plans to hire consultants to help design plans for the space, he said.
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