Back 
Capital City Market Cooperative has made rapid advances toward the creation of a grocery cooperative in the Foodland Center.
Founders of the market cooperative were told they were looking at a three to six year project bringing a co-op to fruition.
“We are two and a half years ahead of schedule,” Greg Fisk Capital City Market steering committee member said. “We had sort of a crisis situation here.”
The co-op has incorporated and is a business. It has raised enough funds to conduct a market survey. However, the interim co-op board is looking further ahead than that. It held an informational meeting at Northwind Architects on Seward Street Monday afternoon. Attendees were solicited for a $500 investment in founding member status. The investment includes a $250 lifetime membership, but no guarantee of return. Around 30 attended the event.
Patty Ware said she became involved because she uses the downtown grocer and she saw the importance of a grocer to her neighbors in the Willoughby District.
The “prospect of having a gaping hole in our downtown core really concerns me,” Ware said.
“It is really important to have a full service grocery store downtown,” Fisk said. “And we’ve got to step up.”
The closure of Alaskan and Proud in early September will affect more than downtown residents. Around 40 percent of Alaskan and Proud’s customers live in the Mendenhall Valley.
Fisk said a downtown grocer is part of both a vital downtown area and the food security of the entire town.
“We’ve seen an out-of-town operator fail with very little notice,” Fisk said. “To me that is a food security issue.”
The co-op’s next step will be based on the outcome of the market study.
“Do we have enough sales volume to pull this off,” Fisk said. However, the whole project could shift if the Foodland Center owners lease the grocery space.
The cooperative plans to pursue grants and personal and commercial loans for funding as well as a little professional help.
“We’re not grocers,” Patty Ware said. The market will be searching for a general manager.
Capital City Market founders say their business model is sound. As opposed to selling a particular type of goods, say organic only, plans call for the market to be full service.
Membership is open to anyone and all are welcome to shop at the cooperative market. Members receive the economic benefits of the cooperative. If the co-op makes money, members receive a dividend.
“Bottom line, we want to be the best store in Juneau,” Fisk said. The Foodland Center grocer that occupied the space before Alaskan and Proud “was a much better store,” Fisk said, “a much nicer place to go. We want to get back to that.”
For more information contact capitalcitymarketjuneau@gmail.com.
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Comments (42)
Add commentCo-OP Just make it a grocery store like Alaskan and Proud
Why go through surveys when you know who your customers are and you know what your customers like when they go to Alaskan and Proud.
Grocery?
LM--It's not going to be a grocery store--it's a shovels ready demonstration project!!
Oh thanks for clearing that up!
LOL thanks snagger! That explains it all!
why
would the property owner wait 2 years to lease the current A&P? Maybe the co-op should look at the Douglas post office
There is a need!
Juneau certainly needs a grocery store in town; I think those best suited to operate one are the successful stores already located here. The city should investigate what it would take to get one of our major stores to locate a smaller store in town. Perhaps allowing the sales tax to be used for capital expenses--come on elected officials; start thinking!!
Oh,the drama of it all...
"We've seen an out- of- town operator fail with very little notice", Fisk said. " To me that is a food security issue".
"We had sort of a crisis situation here".
Thank God the community of Juneau has these Co-op people taking the lead to fend off this pending disaster! With only 4 Major grocers left in town the residents of Juneau could starve to death.
LM - - how about
If you want a say in what they offer, invest!
Snagger - what kind
Of business is good enough for you?
These are private people, investing their own money, to begin a business that will benefit both themselves and the community.
I would think you would be FOR this kind of enterprise - after all it's not billions of government dollars spent on tanks the pentagon doesn't want because some congressman needs jobs in his district to get re-elected, or billions in subsidies to oil companies already making record profits because they have the best lobbiests, or tax loopholes for huge corporations to ship jobs overseas because they make the biggest campaign contributions.
This IS the small business venture conservatives pretend to support - - which will employ local people. so what's your problem?
Where do I send my $500?
Where do I send my $500?
@kara - well, you had to go
@kara - well, you had to go to the meeting. One place said 40 people attended and another said 30. Soooo, that probably means there were 20!
I'm with isld, who's going to wait 2+ years? Silly...pipe dreams using other peoples' money.
And Calypso rails against
And Calypso rails against capitalism for the sake of opposing those darned liberals! Is anyone surprised?
The more I think about it the less likely I will support a Co-Op
I am sorry, but I just feel that having Co-Op to replace A&P is just not my cup of tea.
I personally would like to see a full fledge grocery store, we already have Rainbow Foods for great vegetables.
I am not willing to put down $250 on the chance this Co-Op will go belly up.
What we need is a grocery store that fit the needs of downtown Juneau. Having a Co-OP (where A&P is) only fits the needs of the few.
People go to A&P for breakfast, lunch, and you have a great espresso corner does draw attention to its customer like myself who loves espresso coffee every morning.
*off the sump*
Now, now Rough Cut. You know
Now, now Rough Cut. You know that wouldn’t go over very well. Especially downtown.
@rc - it's gonna be HUGE
@rc - it's gonna be HUGE tomorrow at Chick-fil-A. Americans are sick of this crap.
Look at this - http://www.humanevents.com/2012/07/28/sarah-and-todd-palin-visit-chick-f...
If you can't visit one of the restaurants, write a word of encouragement on their Facebook page or email corporate.
Head Count
I was there. I counted about 42 people in attendance besides the steering committee.
@ LM, there's no reason all of the things you mentioned can't be incorporated into a new co-op market. The co-op is essentially an ownership model, similar to utility co-op or a credit union. If this comes to fruition, the plan is to have a locally owned, modern, full service grocery store.
Money talks.......
It would be great to hear if they have negotiated any sort of option or right of first refusal on the current A&P location with the owner(s); otherwise, it is still just a concept or idea without any concrete right to use or lease the actual real estate.
The first firm or organization to front the money for the rights to the space will prevail regardless of the merits of the co-op idea.
And it could be a competitive situation based on the location and the potential revenues that could be derived from having the only large grocer in the downtown area. Location, location, location....
The real topic to keep your eye on is the Empire's story about an actual lease, option or sale of the location.
p, well, I suppose one could
p, well, I suppose one could call it venture capitalism when someone has a "dream" and they busily gather up other peoples' money in an attempt to realize said dream.
However, with this outfit I don't see any great gains in the near future and capitalism kind of depends on profits.
Sooooo, it's nothing more than a pipe dream - a fantastic but vain hope! They're not getting my money.
Calypso, For some reason I
Calypso,
For some reason I doubt if you have much money to give in the first place.
@fume - in swimmer's words -
@fume - in swimmer's words - "What are you, 5?"
fume is the poster CHILD for the reason America is so divided.
High Dollar Rent
Doesn't anyone remember why A&P left? The rent was raised so high that they couldn't make it. Think the owners are going to lower it now for the co-op?
Calypso - once again
you're kidding, right?
Do you have any idea how many times you contradict yourself? Here's a hint: It's exponentially more often than the number of times you post a positive comment about anything.
So what you are saying is that the ONLY kind of "capitalism" you support is the kind where ONE person has an idea and comes up with ALL of the capital, by themselves - no investors, no loans. You recognize that leaves.....well.......Lemonaid stands (no, take that back, Mom and Dad 'invested' the funds for the lemonaid and paid the water bill - - those darn socialist kids!....)
You really have zero idea how businesses work, do you?
How about.......
Folks who are interested contact one of the names in the articles - they can't be that hard to get ahold of......
And those who want to 'armchair quarterback' on what someone else's business should or shouldn't do, or make assumptions that they will/won't be a certain kind of store, just be patient until we know all the facts - or get involved if you want a say.
Good Luck, Co-Op - I hope it goes well for you!
Not Convinced!
@HanSolo, I understand what you are saying, but
I am not in support of this Co_Op, we really don't need one.
You already have Rainbow Foods that have organic vegetables.
Why duplicate another Rainbow Foods?
I want a full fledge grocery store that services all of downtown Juneau not just the few that think it's great to have a Co_Op.
I won't be giving or supporting my dollars to a Co-Op in the near future. I will at Rainbow Foods!
From the article: "As opposed
From the article: "As opposed to selling a particular type of goods, say organic only, plans call for the market to be full service."
From HanSolo (who appears to be directly involved): "If this comes to fruition, the plan is to have a locally owned, modern, full service grocery store."
Not sure it could be any clearer.
I can't afford the investment myself at the moment otherwise I would happily join in. Regardless, I would definitely shop at this place. Locally owned co-op grocery store types around the country have been successful and typically have higher quality food than a chain grocery store.
Good for the Capital City Market founders for taking the initiative. I hope this comes to fruition.
Calypso, You calling me
Calypso,
You calling me divisive is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. Did I hit a raw nerve? I hope your welfare check comes soon.
Well, I hope they make it.
Well, I hope they make it. However I also hope when they are successful they will remember the phrase ““If you’ve got a business – you didn’t build that.” Obama quote by the way.
Well, Milspec., apparently
Well, Milspec., apparently you don't remember it, because that's not quite what he said (and it wasn't at all what he meant). But why let accurate reporting and honesty get in the way of your trolling?
Milspec and LM and Calypso.....
an alteration on a classic. They are:
Hear no truth, read no truth, write no truth.
clarification for Milspec
....by "that" - the president clearly meant "roads and bridges" which in the sentence prior he had pointed out as something we all contribute towards, which are important for private businesses.
Really, try AP or CNN or BBC once in a while if you can't take ABC and NBC. But at least recognize that upwards of 60% of everything you hear on Fox is twisted or edited beyond recognition of what would be considered factual.
Just a chic fil a?
Rough, dude, I wanna Waffle House too.