Daisy Mae, Findlay Market's only full-time produce stand, now offers downtown businesses a Break. Healthy Breaks are weekly deliveries of fruits and vegetables to downtown offices, promoting wellness with vitamin-filled alternatives to the vending machine.
Healthy Breaks are a natural outgrowth of Daisy Mae's mission: "easy access to the finest selection of fresh produce in the Cincinnati area." Barry Cooper, who co-owns Daisy Mae with his brother Jeff, was thinking about how to expand the business. "How do we get people to come down to Findlay Market?" he asked his wife, Barb. Barb suggested a tie-in with healthy living, and began calling people in the wellness community.
Healthy Breaks launched in January, just two months after Daisy Mae unfurled its colorful awning at Findlay Market. The most popular selection is bananas, apples, and navel oranges - 60 to 70 pieces for only $30. Deliveries are made each weekday except Monday. One office enjoys the program so much that they now schedule two weekly Healthy Breaks deliveries.
The Cooper brothers grew up in Cincinnati. Jeff has a lifetime in the produce business; he started out at the Catanzaro Brothers' Findlay Market stand as a teen. Barry, a homebuilder, brings business expertise and culinary skills. "I fancy myself a decent cook, so I can talk to the people about preparing the produce." Barb Cooper maintains a
blog and
Twitter feed that connect Daisy Mae's customers with issues of interest around the city.
Daisy Mae offers locally-grown produce when practical, but maintains a sense of humor about the need to ship. A recent Twitter post said, "We love it when customers ask 'Is it local?' about avocados and bananas." Barry Cooper credits "a multitude of suppliers" with providing high quality and competitive prices.
In addition to Healthy Breaks, Daisy Mae Market offers Quick Pick Produce, a concierge service where customers call ahead and have produce brought to their car, as well as downtown produce delivery.
Written by: Elena Stevenson
Source: Barry Cooper, co-owner, Daisy Mae's Market
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