by Granite City Coop Board of Directors
We represent the owners of Barre’s Granite City Grocery, a cooperative with a vision of a downtown grocery store that could provide affordable and accessible food to the whole Barre community, while strengthening local business, local farms and the ongoing revitalization of downtown Barre. We are proud to say that we are diligently working toward reaching our next major milestone: 600 owners by June 30.
We are focusing on growing our owner base and expanding community awareness to solidify the support we need to create a sustainable business venture that is responsive to our community’s needs. Working with a nationally established food co-op consulting group, we are using a widely tested and proven development model that has demonstrated its effectiveness in starting numerous food co-ops in the past decade, including the Monadnock and Littleton food co-ops in New Hampshire. By following this model, with appropriate tailoring to the unique Barre community, we are confident that we will build a successful, carefully developed cooperatively-owned grocery store that will contribute to the ongoing and exciting revitalization of Barre’s downtown.
The City Place building, which is a lovely new addition to Main Street, was on our radar screen as a potential site when we first began to organize. However, we soon realized that there are many more steps to take before finalizing a location, including recruiting a certain number of owners, conducting a market study and creating a financial model. Prudence dictates a careful and methodical site analysis and selection process, linked to progressive ownership goals. Granite City Grocery will find a location downtown, filling an open niche and contributing to the remarkable transformation that promises to bring business, revitalization and new faces to Barre City. Although we can’t put an opening date on the calendar yet, we are following a clear business plan that has us on track to open with a solid financial and market footing, ensuring that the grocery store will become an enduring feature of downtown Barre life.
We encourage you to learn more about Granite City Grocery and the hundreds of households in Barre and the wider community who have purchased a share in the co-op to make it a reality. Every new owner makes a difference and brings us one step closer to opening day! Please visit our website at www.granitecitygrocery.coop or call 802-279-7518, and consider becoming an owner today. You will help bring affordable and local food to downtown Barre, support Vermont farmers and other local producers, and help build a strong, democratic and resilient community founded on local spirit and shared effort.
The Granite City Grocery Board of Directors:
Chris Riddell, President
Vicki LeClair
Becca Pincus
Nick Landry
David Rubin
