30 years ago, Kim Peacock began her business selling nuts from a store in the airport.
Since then, she's opened her own store in Arlington, GreatNuts.com, and landed deals with two major airlines that served her snacks to passengers in first class.
“Small margins but really kept people employed year-round,” Peacock said.
Peacock said airlines made up about 85% of her sales.
But when nuts were removed from flights to reduce contact with customers and crew members, she was left holding the bag.
“In March, we were given no notice. We saw it on the news and we went, ‘Uh oh. We're in big trouble’,” she recalled.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Peacock said orders from airlines stopped, leaving her with more than $700,000 worth of ingredients.
“The bigger problem are the contracts,” she said.
To add salt to the wound, she said nut brokers who act as middlemen between sellers and growers, still want Peacock to pay full price, even though the cost of nuts has plummeted.
“Right now, that difference is totaling up to $700,000,” Peacock said. “Am I going to sell my building and am I going to sell my business? You know, what am I going to do?”
For now, Peacock is taking matters into her own hands ramping up sales to customers in-person and online at cost, a sale she calls the "airline special."
“I keep fighting I keep fighting,” she said.
