Construction Has Begun at 901 Iowa
Updated July 14, 2022
Construction is underway in our Lawrence store as of Thursday, July 14. In Phase 1A, we will merge our classroom and cafe into a bright, accessible shared space. Then, we will move over to the north side of building to update our restrooms, registers and break room. Drip coffee and prepared foods are still happening, and our current classroom is open for dining. Thanks for your patience as we work to improve our co-op. Learn more about this project below.
Co-op Board Approves Plans for Lawrence Store Remodel
Published May 18, 2022
Coffee + Juice Bar will Close End of May
On Monday, May 16 our co-op's board of directors voted to approve a financing plan for the purpose of remodeling our Lawrence store. This October, payments on our building at 901 Iowa will be completed, allowing our business to sustainably reinvest in its flagship location.
The remodel will occur in two phases. Phase One will take place this summer with a focus on expanding our restrooms, adjusting our register lanes and creating a more welcoming employee break room. To make this possible, we will modify the Coffee + Juice Bar and merge our classroom with the café. Phase Two (early 2023) will follow with a necessary replacement of our refrigeration rack which has reached the end of its useful life and is beyond its maximum capacity. Replacing it with a modern, higher efficiency rack will reduce the store's carbon footprint.
This remodel will allow the co-op provide Lawrence store shoppers with:
More offerings in produce, refrigerated, frozen and other departments
A more efficient check out experience
A more inviting community classroom and café that provides dynamic programming
More gender inclusive, ADA-compliant bathrooms
A more sustainable facility
Coffee + Juice Bar
The current iteration of our Coffee + Juice Bar opened in summer of 2015. At that time, fresh pressed juices and smoothies were an emerging trend, and we positioned ourselves as the only place in town for healthy beverages made with 100% organic produce. Fast forward to summer 2022 and we find ourselves inundated with new competition (QuikTrip, Scooters Drive Thru, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Smoothie King, Total Body Nutrition, T. Loft, Fruitful Acai Bowls, etc.) and grab-n-go bottled options, as well as changing behaviors, budgets, and wants in a post pandemic world.
While our store's overall customer count and sales are growing, the Coffee + Juice Bar continues to see declining sales - part of which led us to reducing the hours of operation. We have enjoyed offering these made-to-order menus, but it is not sustainable. In fact, over the past five years, the bar has generated a significant loss for the co-op. Rather than continue to operate with a deficit, the Coffee + Juice Bar will close at the end of May. Our offerings will transition away from made-to-order drinks and focus on our top selling self-serve options, including: brewed drip coffee and cold pressed bottled options.
There will be no job losses. All of our Coffee + Juice bar employees will continue to work in prepared foods or within our fresh and grocery departments. Our co-op is also hiring for a variety of positions at both store locations.
Classroom + Cafe
The pandemic greatly impacted our education and outreach efforts, particularly our class program. From March 2020 to July 2021, in person classes were paused and the classroom was temporarily repurposed as a staging site for our online/curbside shopping program. We have continued to offer virtual classes, and recently returned to some in person. However, after two years of upheaval, our instructors' needs, the community's demand, and the co-op's capacity has changed. And, our classroom sits empty over 90% of the time.
That said, we remain committed to education and outreach, and efforts will continue and evolve. We will continue to offer a gathering space for learning; only now, it will be a shared space with the café at the south side of the store. The remodel will allow the Community Room to be open or closed based on the use. We will continue to offer in person classes, and we will expand our curriculum to include drop-in activities, active demos, and vendor samplings in a more casual and accessible atmosphere.
Lawrence on site classes will be on pause during the remodel. Our Kansas City classroom will be available for class and community use. There will be no job losses. Our Co-op Support Specialist will continue to manage all class-related duties as well as owner services responsibilities.
Check Out + Registers
Self Check Outs have proven to be a welcome alternative experience for many shoppers and owners. Several months of data has shown us that 44% of shoppers are choosing Self Check Out, and those that do are rounding up for a Change for our Community partners at an even higher rate than those that use Full Service Check Out.
In addition, we recognize the need to have full service, employee-run registers. This remodel will include new check stands and a new configuration. With seven* centrally located register options, we will reduce congestion and improve the checkout experience.
*Original check stand plans were adjusted from architect renderings due to space, cost and timeline changes. This blog post has been edited to reflect those changes.
Restrooms
In the 21+ years that we have operated at this location, our restrooms have not been adequately remodeled and we have received numerous complaints. To live up to our "Everyone Welcome" mantra, their current format and condition need to be addressed. We recognize the need to improve accessibility for people using wheelchairs, walkers and strollers, as well as the need to offer more gender inclusive restrooms.
The remodel will remove the two shared, binary-designated restrooms. They will be replaced with new ADA compliant, family-friendly, gender neutral restrooms for a total of four individual restroom spaces.
Thank You for Your Support
Safeguarding the co-op's future comes with tough choices that our board and director team take very seriously. While it is hard to let go of our full service beverage program, we are excited to have this opportunity to expand our produce department along with bakery, bread, dairy, frozen and beer.
We understand that change can be difficult. It can also be rewarding. We look forward to continuing to be a great place for our community to eat, gather and learn.
Our board and staff would like to thank you, in advance, for your understanding, support and patience during this remodel. Your participation in our co-op makes improvements like these possible.
Questions? Please contact the store by email.
