#BehindTheBrands
OK Produce is a produce market located in Philadelphia’s historic Reading Terminal Marketplace. OK produce was founded in 1988 but acquired by the current owner, Samuel Kimani, in 2018.
Meet the Owner
Samuel went into business with OK Produce to be his own boss, but also to have more control over his financial growth. Samuel was born and raised in Kenya, then moved to the USA about twenty years ago. He also enjoys traveling and visiting other countries. This has earned him a lot of knowledge on what different people eat and how they prepare it.
Being based in a large city, with a population that also experiences harsh socioeconomic gaps, Samuel has made it a priority to reduce product costs by keeping the business simple with as little overheads as possible. These savings in costs are transferred to their customers- allowing them to provide some of the most competitive prices in the region and distribute free produce weekly!
What's been your proudest moment, or greatest achievement as a business owner?
Upon acquiring OK Produce, he built upon the current business model but also included more diverse produce that would meet the needs of Philly’s diverse community. In addition, adding international food products inspired by his heritage and travels. This has resulted in Samuel adding over 50% of the products that were originally in the inventory- this is something he is very proud of!
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?
Samuel advises aspiring business owners to their research, and the math behind their idea. If those prove to work, go for it! He is excited to join the FLOWS Grocery platform to attract new online business, and he foresees FLOWS to be yet another asset to the growth of OK Produce.
Shop products from OK Produce today and visit their brand profile on FLOWS Grocery.