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As the entire Bay Area settles into the governor’s shelter-in-place order, many streets have emptied and most activity has come to a halt. But near Jack London Square in Oakland, it’s a different scene.
At daybreak, the streets bustle with activity as produce merchants unload fresh produce onto the streets awaiting early morning customers six days of the week.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has closed businesses, limited restaurants to offer only take out orders and left some merchants struggling to sell their produce, others have seen an increase in sales at the old Merchant’s district.
David Nuñez, owner of Gold Bear Produce in that district, is constantly busy as customers — who come from the East Bay as well as Sonoma and Napa counties — load boxes filled with produce into their trucks. Since news of the coronavirus pandemic began, he’s seen his sales jump 80 percent because he only sells and delivers to markets, not to restaurants.
Not everyone has been so fortunate.
Across the street from Gold Bear, is Vincent Produce. “Sales dropped 75 percent, down since Tuesday,” says owner Vincent On, who wears a face mask as he sweeps the inside of a truck and the sidewalk outside his warehouse. His business depends on restaurant orders, not produce markets.
Seven Bay Area counties put out orders to shelter-in-place on Tuesday, March 17th after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s call to close bars and ordered restaurants to end dine-in service to reduce the spread of the potentially fatal COVID-19.That order has since gone statewide. Food trucks, grocery stores and charitable food distribution sites are not affected.
Juan Gallo, manager at All Season Produce, said his sales are the same; however, he was afraid the border with Mexico would close. All their produce is imported from Mexico. And he was right, Mexico and the United States agreed to close the border temporally, but trade between both countries will not be affected.
