MELISSA’S / WORLD VARIETY PRODUCE INC.
Today Melissa’s/World Variety Produce is a global market of tasty, creamy, tangy, aromatic, tart, sweet, crunchy and delectable foods. The company’s 280,000 square foot warehouse is home to the nation’s largest distributor of specialty produce. Over the years, the company’s Food Service Division has become a full-service operation that supplies culinary professionals with staples, exotics and a full line of organic produce.
Joe and Sharon Hernandez founded the business with a decade of produce industry experience in a small, rented produce warehouse lunchroom. The original office had three telephones and four chairs – no one could have guessed that within a few short years, the company would grow to occupy its current location and state-of-the- art CCOF/QAI Certified Organic Packing Facility. The Melissa’s brand is named after Joe and Sharon’s daughter, who takes an active role in the company. Through the years, the company has found stable growth thanks to the support of loyal customers and a close-knit family of employees dedicated to customer service.
