Chef’s Table - Dan, Dan the Fruit Man

Forty-six year old Dan Moore put himself through Emory Business School by cutting grass. Today, he puts food on his table by peddling fruit to Atlanta restaurants.

Moore, who once bought and sold seafood in Alaska — “It’s a whole lot easier to do produce, and a lot less perishable,” he says — has always raised fruit as a hobby. In fact, it was the figs and Japanese persimmons that he grew in his back yard that provided the springboard into the produce trade and led to the creation of his business, Nursery Wholesale.

Creative Loafing: How’d you make your first sale?

Moore: I was watching birds eat the figs off my tree and I thought, “That’s wasteful.” On the spur of the moment, I picked 10 pounds and took them to the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead. Chef Seeger tried a few and said they were delicious. He bought them and said he would take more. He was my first customer. I’ve had $100,000 contracting deals, but selling my first figs was just as uplifting. I had grown them myself and had a sense of accomplishment. Chef Seeger was an excellent recommendation and stamp of approval. When I went to other folks, they said, “If you can sell to him, we’ll buy from you.” That was about 11 years ago.

Who are some of your clients?

Seeger’s, Bacchanalia, Aria, the Ritz-Carlton, Joël, Dick and Harry’s, Woodfire Grill, Bluepointe and the Buckhead Diner are some of my best customers.

What fruits do you sell?

Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, figs, Japanese persimmons, apples, peaches, heirloom tomatoes, chestnuts. I’ve cobbled together a Byzantine-type arrangement with many Georgia growers. Some are millionaires who like to grow fruit — like the gal who must be in her late 80s or early 90s and delivers her blackberries in a brand new Cadillac; she just likes to pick them.

Many of us have a hard time selecting produce. Any tips?

The best fruit is not always the prettiest. It’s a personal philosophy I apply to a lot of things.

What’s your favorite fruit?

I eat lots of fresh fruit, especially figs, which are a rich source of calcium and magnesium. I also like blueberries, and when they are about to go out of season, I freeze them. I like everything I sell. Fruit is very beneficial. Other than being bald, I feel 25.

Still sell any fruit you grow?

I still grow figs and persimmons, but it’s a minor portion, more for emergencies or spur of the minute orders. I’m a better seller than grower.

Think you’ll do this forever?

I enjoy what I do, but it’s a business. I have driven 36,000 miles since last year. I show up with a box of produce, ready to go, but people don’t see all the effort. It’s like a duck sailing across a pond: You don’t see his feet churning under the water. I may not do it for the rest of my life, I kind of fell into it from hobby. But I make a decent living. At a certain point, I’d like to have a farm. At my 25th college reunion this year, all my classmates seemed pleased about my business — and they all wanted some fruit!

-- Suzanne Wright

chefstable@creativeloafing.com