The story of Grow begins a few years ago when a six-year-old boy named Brendan Fisher wanted a boogie board. His father, Barry, made a deal: he’d pay half if Brendan could come up with the other half. Brendan set up a fruit stand in front of their home on 33rd Street in Manhattan Beach, and his dad supplied him with two boxes of fresh cherries from his day job as a fruit exporter. At $8 a pound, they sold slowly at first – it took hours to sell a single box – but a note appeared in his mailbox that week: “Little boy, those were the best cherries I’ve ever had in my life. I’ll have two pounds next weekend if you are still selling them.” From that first pre-order the business boomed, and soon boxes of cherries were flying off the fruit stand, giving Barry Fisher the idea for a local market offering high-quality fresh fruit. “That is where it started,” he said. “It’s a true story.”
Fisher, who worked 20 years as an exporter, knew the dirty little secret of the fruit and produce industry: ironically, because of its relative proximity to the growers of central California, Los Angeles had become the dumping ground for lesser-quality fruit and produce. The top quality fruit, because it can survive longer shipping routes, went elsewhere. And so Fisher circumvented the process – because of the small scale nature of his 2,000 sq. ft. store, he can buy small batches of the very best fruit and sell it at a price that is competitive with larger stores.
“You’d think we’d have the best product because it’s in our backyard, but that’s not the case,” Fisher said. “That is how a place like Grow can thrive, because we are not brining in product that is typical to the L.A. market. I find the best that California has to offer and put it in the store. These are growers I’ve worked with for years.”
Grow packs a lot into its small space: everything from citrus, herbs, and lettuces to artisanal cheeses, wine, and high quality meats. But its most popular product has remained unchanged from its very beginnings.
“Cherries,” Fisher said. “Hands down.”
Grow: 1830 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Manhattan Beach. 310-545-2904.
Runner Up: Whole Foods Market, 405 N. PCH, Redondo Beach. 310-376-6931.
