Startup Misfits Market is hiring 100 people to keep up with food delivery demand

North Philly-founded, venture-funded produce delivery startup Misfits Market, which ships a collection of organic, imperfect fruits and vegetables to customers through a subscription service, announced it was hiring 100 local workers to keep up with demand during the spread of COVID-19.

The startup, which has since moved its HQ across the Delaware River to Pennsauken, New Jersey, is looking for 100 production associates to help fulfill orders. The company is currently shipping to the majority of the eastern U.S., across 24 states.

The company is also temporarily raising its rate for the position from $13 to $16 an hour, and will providing free lunch for all on-site employees. A spokesperson said that those hired during this time will be placed in permanent, full-time positions. (Apply online.)

The increased warehouse staff will allow the company to continue to ship produce to “the most vulnerable populations who have been instructed to stay at home,” it said in a statement.

Any given box will contain a collection of in-season produce that wasn’t standard-looking enough to be sold at grocery stores, similar to the Hungry Harvest model. Subscribers can chose between the “Mischief Box,” better for households of one to two people, or the “Madness” box, for households of up to five people who cook often. Subscribers can receive the box every week or every two weeks.

“Amid this unprecedented crisis, Misfits Market is uniquely positioned to provide nutritious food to those without access as well as become an engine for local job growth,” said Abhi Ramesh, founder and CEO, in a statement. “We’re committed to responsibly increasing our staff to support our existing customer base and offer new opportunities to people in the region who have lost jobs or become underemployed due to recent events.”

The company will also start shipping some shelf-stable items, like canned tomatoes, beans, spices, grains, and baking and soup mixes, with a subscribers’ second box.

Misfits Market announced in a recent blog post that it was following Good Manufacturing Practices industry standards of sanitation, and had added sanitation stations throughout its facility.

“Regardless of where or when you receive your produce, we always recommend thoroughly washing and properly storing your produce prior to consumption, especially if you plan on eating it raw,” the post said.

The announcement from the delivery-focused company comes a few days after internet shopping giant Amazon announced it was opening 100,000 full- and part-time positions to keep up with online ordering, as well as limited the types of items it would ship temporarily.