South County Food CO-OP Making a Come Back!

Good, healthy food is ultra-important, and as our bodies absorb toxins from every side, food that sustains our vibrant health is even more vital.  A South County landmark, “the Co-op” is just such a place.  It is a gem that we MUST support.  Food there is lovingly prepared or purchased.  It supports local farmers and food producers.  Its staff know how to answer questions, and, simply put, it’s just a great place to stop in and have a cup of tea while watching Wakefield’s busy Main Street flow by!

Wakefield’s South County Food Cooperative (formerly the Alternative Food Co-op,) is one of the oldest food cooperatives in the United States. Founded by members of the URI community is 1970, it has operated on a front porch, a garage, in URI’s Roosevelt Hall, and then for the last 15 years in storefronts in South County.  Currently, it has a premier location in the Kenyon Building in historic downtown Wakefield at the corner of Kenyon Avenue and Main Street.

The Co-op offers great coffee, tea, and espresso, prepared foods, bulk grains, food, honey, oil, cleaning products and herbs; groceries, produce, and refrigerated and frozen foods.  It also offers vitamins and supplements and health and beauty aids.

Those of you who have known the Co-op will know that in the last year, the shelves have been much emptier than ever before.  This is NOT due to competition form other stores, but from too much “net 30” debt so inventory could not be replenished as items were sold.  This kind of pattern is very difficult to stop, because having merchandise for our customers to buy is what pays the bills!

But the  message below shows that help is in the way, and over the next three months, the Co-op will rebound and be better than ever.  Read on… 

YOUR CO-OP IS COMING BACK!

Can you rise from the dead?  WE CAN!  And we’re proving it!

YOUR Co-op is ON THE WAY BACK!

The RED INK is turning GREEN!

• We have good news to share in the very near future… we are refinancing and will soon be able to (FINALLY) FILL our SHELVES again!!

Meanwhile…

Come enjoy our revitalized and robust Café for our daily fare…

Baked goods

Wraps

Salads

Spectacular coffee

AND COME TO PIE NIGHT!!

• Free pie with a coffee or tea
• Great live music
• Thursday evenings twice a month

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Want more detail?  Look a little further…

The problem has NOT been competition.  It is too much of the wrong kind of debt that just didn’t leave enough cash to replace sold inventory.

The Co-op Board of Directors has been hard at work for months arranging a sustainable way for the Co-op to regain its place in the South County economy.  We have found it, and with the help of Freedom National Bank, the Rhode Island Foundation, the Cooperative Fund of New England, our landlord, and some great members, IT IS HAPPENING!

We still need a few members to step up and help financially—if you can, join the CO-OP’s RISING TIDE and either call Jeff Broadhead (741.3091) or just stop in at the store and see Liz or Allison.

South County Food Co-op 401.789.2240