It’s been more than a year since Amazon opened its “Community Banana Stand” in Seattle and the program appears to be a hit.
Amazon officially handed out its millionth banana and is now distributing about 5,000 a day, according to a video the company posted. A “banista” in the video says that’s up from about 1,200 a day when the stand first opened.
Unlike the Bluth family icon, there’s never been any money in the Banana Stand for Amazon. Potassium-filled treats are free and up for grabs to anyone passing by between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Amazon employee or not. The stand has become a fixture at Amazon’s South Lake Union headquarters.
In the video, Amazon says the banana stand was “originally conceived by Jeff Bezos,” like many of the company’s initiatives.
Why bananas?
“Bananas are a great healthy snack with built-in compostable packaging,” an Amazon rep said when the stand opened.
