Fresh Produce Warehouse offers wide spectrum of produce

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Fresh Produce Warehouse offers wide spectrum of produce

“We have the largest selection of fresh fruits and vegetables in Kentucky,” said co-owner Gerald Llewellyn. “Our items are shipped in fresh from all over. We have new items each week.”

Fresh Produce Warehouse sells produce, fresh cut flowers and related items. They also have Kentucky Proud products and items from locally-owned John Conti Coffee Co.

The idea for a produce-only store came from a concept that was already in place and successful up North.

“Bluegrass Produce (the company that owns Fresh Produce Warehouse) started about a year-and-a-half ago,” Llewellyn said. “We got the idea for the store from a concept in Michigan that was already working very well. We took our investors up there and they were very excited.”

The 22,500-square-foot store opened in late April. Its produce comes from all over the country and its flowers come from an Amish community in Eastern Kentucky.

Fresh Produce Warehouse has all the produce staples – apples, oranges, lettuce and tomatoes – but it also has exotic fruit, such as starfruit, papayas and cactus leaves. It also has several varieties of each product and a handful of organic items.

Handy guides posted within each section detail a variety’s taste, texture and its uses (like for baking or snacks). Some items even have sample trays for customers to test before they buy.

Because the store ships in produce from all over, it frequently has seasonal produce before other stores. It currently has a selection of peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots and cherries – items that are not usually available in Louisville on a large scale until June or July.

The store also takes requests.

“If a customer comes to me and asks for something, I will make sure we get it,” said co-owner Don Blackburn. “We let the demand be our guide.”

The store is quickly becoming popular with not only locals, but with restaurateurs as well.

“We get a lot of restaurants that buy produce here,” Blackburn said. “Mostly mom-and-pop and ethnic restaurants.”

Price is another draw. Fresh Produce Warehouse works with several vendors to make sure it gets the best product at the best price – savings the store passes to customers.

“We want to give our customers retail quality products at wholesale prices,” Blackburn said.

Fresh Produce Warehouse is located at 4044 Taylorsville Road.