WORTHINGTON — Worthington’s Frutissimo opened Oct. 4, 2020 during the pandemic, causing owner Claudia Reveles to experience unexpected challenges.
Although Frutissimo is a small drive through place, it had its fair share of obstacles at the beginning of the pandemic. One problem was the opening date, Oct. 4, because it was five months later than Reveles and the other owners expected.
“With the state being closed, a lot of the inspectors that were supposed to come and the exams I was supposed to do were delayed,” Reveles said.
She also talked about her worries with the food process, and the risks on how the food could become contaminated with the virus. However, she stated it isn’t a problem she has to worry about at the moment.
One thing that has helped Frutissimo is the experience the owners have with business.
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“I learned a lot from my husband's concrete company in 2018, like learning how to register your company, and paying all your taxes,” Reveles shared.
Although she and her partners have experience, Reveles added, “There’s a lot of stress when owning a business. You spend less time at home and more time here (Frutissimo), and if it’s more than one owner you have to respect everyone’s input and opinions with the business.”
She talked about how she does the accounting and marketing for the business and is very busy right now with that. She also noted that Minnesota South West helps with loans for women, minorities and veterans and wanted to make sure everyone was aware of that if others are interested in opening their own business.
The work at Frutissimo is also a little different considering all the requirements due to COVID-19 as well as the atmosphere of the work.
“We have to wear masks, gloves, and keep washing your hands when interacting with customers,” said Katie Figueroa, a worker at Frutissimo.
She also talked about how the work environment can be awkward due to not being able to see faces, but now the company is getting used to it.
