About Washington Vegetable
WHO WE ARE
Washington Vegetable Company was established in 1931 and we are the oldest wholesale produce business located in the City & County of San Francisco. At Washington Vegetable no customer is too big or too small. Washington Vegetable Company specializes in a variety of produce. In addition to our domestic business, we have a thriving export business that provides a full line of fresh fruits, vegetables and grocery items to the Pacific Rim and the South Pacific. Our knowledgeable staff has over 100 years of combined experience in the produce industry and we assure competitive pricing on quality products as well as efficient and excellent customer service.
While proud and mindful of our past, we pride ourselves on constantly innovating in an attempt to improve the customer experience and meet the ever evolving requirements of our industry (years ago we recognized an increased interest in organic produce, so we expanded into organic sales in order to meet the demand). We are constantly expanding our product lines, in order to provide our customers with the latest products being offered.
President Jack Pizza and Former S.F. Mayor Ed Lee
We source our products daily from numerous suppliers large and small, both local and international. We value our supplier relationships, many of which have been in place for decades. It is these relationships that allow us to provide our customers with the freshest produce at the most competitive prices. In addition to the extensive list of products that we sell we also have access to the numerous vendors at the SFWPM and we can source virtually any other produce item on a daily basis. This is a service we perform on a regular basis for our customers who are looking for a “one stop shop” for their produce needs. For customers who may find it more convenient, delivery to locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area can be arranged.
History
After immigrating from Collodi, Italy in 1920, Pietro Dante Pizza began working at the old San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market near the corner of Davis and Washington Sts. in what is now the Financial District of San Francisco. In 1931, after working as a porter at the old market, Dante opened his own wholesale produce business and named it Washington Vegetable Company. Dante’s three sons, John, Louis, and Renato worked at the family business first while in school, working during the school year (before school) and then full time after returning from their service in WWII. In 1961, The Golden Gateway Redevelopment Project was approved and the tenants of the old Wholesale Produce Market were moved to a new San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market (SFWPM) on Jerrold Avenue in the Bayview area of San Francisco.
After Louis and Renato retired, John became the sole owner of Washington Vegetable Company. In 2003, John retired and his son Jack took over as owner and president. Jack gained familiarity with the company and the market starting in high school, when he would work summers and occasionally before school. In 1994, after working as an attorney for 12 years Jack returned to Washington Vegetable Company.
With over 85 years of continuous service, Washington Vegetable is the oldest wholesale produce business in the City & County of San Francisco.
