Dan Avakian

After 30 years in California produce, Dan Avakian has recently reaped a sweet harvest, taking over ownership of the very market where he got his start in the business. He began his education at age 15, working under mentor Frank Marchi in the open-air establishment that’s known today as Dan’s Fresh Produce.

Over the years, Dan has honed his skills in produce management at Fry’s Food Stores and other supermarkets. He helped pioneer the produce program for Costco Wholesale in Northern California and helped establish the Produce Quality Assurance program for SYSCO Food Service at their Bay Area Distribution Center. From 1993 to 1996, Dan owned and operated R&D Produce Center, which grabbed the attention of several Bay Area newspapers. Prior to opening Dan’s Fresh Produce in May 2006, Dan served as Liaison of Vendor and Public Relations for VegiWorks, San Francisco’s leading produce supplier.

In addition to his work in the grocery industry, Dan has enjoyed a 20-year media career, offering produce pointers to radio listeners throughout the Bay Area. In seven years as co-host of a nationally syndicated radio show “The Produce Pair,” Dan worked with many chefs and cookbook authors including Graham Kerr, Carlo Middione, Frieda Kaplan and The Border Girls (Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Fennigar). Dan appears often as a guest on Rosy Chu’s Bay Area People on KTVU, and can be heard on “Getting Fresh with Dan the Produce Man” at 111radio.com. He also writes regularly for Alameda Magazine.

Visit Dan’s website at http://www.producepair.com