Because We Exist

Because We Exist: New Live Series

Because We Exist is FCI’s year-end celebration of the stories and impact of startup food co-ops!

We all need a reminder of how meaningful the work we do is as food cooperators – so heat up a mug of your favorite winter beverage, grab that blanket, and join us for this series!

Watch the recordings on the FCI YouTube channel.

River Valley Co-op

River Valley Co-op is an early 3rd wave startup food co-op that opened its first store in 2008 in Northhampton, MA. It has served as a mentor and advocate for many 3rd wave startups to come after them, while maintaining fast growth (they opened their second store in 2021!) and creating incredible, values-driven impact on their community.

Green Top Grocery

Green Top Grocery is a college-town startup food co-op (Bloomington, IL) that started construction of their store in late 2016 after six years of organizing. Just a few months later, a major natural foods competitor announced they’d not only be entering their market, but opening the same month as them in 2017. The impact was profound and led to some rocky first years, but the co-op is now finding its footing and has activated a thriving Green Top Grocery co-op community.

South Philly Food Co-op

Do you remember what you were doing on Christmas Eve in 2020, at the height of the pandemic? The South Philly Food Co-op, located in the heart of Philadelphia, PA, was celebrating its first full day of store operations, having opened their doors just the day before! This small-sized-but-mighty startup food co-op has not only been serving their neighborhood with groceries but has been a noted powerhouse of community-building since that day.

Market 166 Grocery and Kitchen Co-op

Market 166 Grocery and Kitchen Co-op began organizing in 2018 to bring access to high-quality fresh food and boost the local economy in their East Point, GA community. Just as they were gaining momentum, two things happened: the pandemic hit, and they received a financial pro forma that didn’t show a sustainable path to opening their grocery store exactly as they’d originally envisioned it. Neither of these intense pressures stopped this thriving startup, which has found multiple ways to directly serve their community now while re-imagining the path to opening their future cooperatively-owned retail grocery store.

Detroit People’s Food Co-op

Detroit People’s Food Co-op incorporated in 2014 to provide access to healthy, affordable food in Detroit North End while also creating food sovereignty, jobs, community wealth. Unapologetically Black-led, this food co-op was initiated and organized originally by the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, but quickly became fully owned and organized by the larger community – as intended. Detroit People’s Food Co-op opened its doors in May 2024, but its community impact started long before they got the “doors on the store!”

Get Started with Food Co-op Initiative

Food Co-op Initiative provides exceptional resources for people in the U.S. working to start a retail food co-op that meets the needs of their community. New startups can use our materials at no charge and are able to reach out to our staff for phone consultations and additional technical help.

Popular Resources

Let’s Start a Food Co-op! What do we do first?

What can FCI Do for me?

Guide to Starting a Food Co-op

Annual Impact Reports

QuickStart from FCI Classroom

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Food Co-op Initiative is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by the law. Food Co-op Initiative is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate with regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or disability.