Hello Prairie Food Co-op community!
Welcome to my GM Junction, where I update you all on the progress being made at our site at 837 S Westmore-Meyers Road, and also some of the behind the scenes work going on.
The new year brings us to an imminent and important milestone, and that is having the store site handed over to us by our Landlord. A year’s worth of exterior renovations has brought Eastgate Center’s north side back to life and looking fantastic! I recently visited the site and am happy to report that aside from some very minor details, the work on the exterior is just about complete, and PFC has officially taken possession.
Promising news on the grant front, as our State Grant has reached its final stages of approval. We’re just waiting on some very important signatures and the wait will be over! The $807K grant, which was part of Governor Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois (RBI) Downtowns and Main Streets Capital program, was awarded in 2022 and was a huge shot in the arm for PFC, allowing us to kick the dream of opening a co-op in Lombard into next gear. As reported in my previous GM Junction, the $750K Federal Grant is also in its final stages and awaiting final approval.
For those of you reading this who may not be familiar with co-ops, let me give you a quick rundown of who and what we are! A Cooperative is a business owned by and operated for the benefit of those using its services. Law dictates that profits generated by a Cooperative be distributed among Owners or re-invested in the business to expand products and services. There are several different types of co-ops: consumer co-ops such as Prairie Food Co-op, producer co-ops such as Organic Valley, worker co-ops such as Equal Exchange, and housing co-ops. Credit unions (maybe you belong to one!) are financial co-ops. Our next door neighbor, Ace Hardware, is the largest non-grocery retail cooperative in the United States!
In food co-ops such as ours, you become an owner by buying two shares of the business — joining with your neighbors to provide the money that allows the co-op to exist. Your investment demonstrates that you support the mission of Prairie Food Co-op - to open a full service grocery store dedicated to strengthening our local economy and supporting local, sustainable food production. Your investment helps create a more responsible and just food system.
Food co-ops are not a new idea or niche market. There are more than 250 food co-ops in the US that generate over $1.4 billion in annual revenue and are owned by over 1.3 million consumer Owners. Collectively, food co-ops are the third largest buyer of natural foods.
Prairie Food Co-op is a community-owned and democratically operated grocery store dedicated to strengthening our economy and creating a marketplace for transparently labeled, local, organic and sustainable food. Not an owner yet? Visit our website at https://www.prairiefood.coop/ownership to become one!
2023 was a very eventful and productive year for Prairie Foods. I would like to thank all the PFC Board Members and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to get us to this point. Special shoutouts to our architect Megan Harte and Grant Manager Edith Makra, as well.
Also, huge thanks and appreciation to our owners! We are almost 1800 strong! Without you there is no PFC!
Here’s a sneak peek at the interior of our site. What’s under that tarp? Our first shipment of equipment!
Thank you for taking the time to stay up-to-date on all things PFC.
See you in the aisles!
Jason Krapausky
General Manager
Prairie Food Co-op