by Rita York Hennecke, General Manager
Next summer we will be one co-op with three locations! After 45 years of making good local food available in Lawrence, Kansas at our store at 9th and Iowa and our Co+op Cafe at the Lawrence Public Library, we are excited to open our downtown Kansas City, Kansas location!
Even though it's cold outside, there is significant progress being made on the construction of the store. Last week, the slab was poured!
Lawrence shoppers might be wondering if we'll have the same signature multi-colored tile floor as we do in Lawrence. Alas, we will not. The KCK store will have a semi-polished concrete floor, which is a more environmentally and economically sustainable option.
What's next?
Construction: Steel is arriving later this month and roofing begins in January. Currently, the estimated completion is set for mid May of 2020. We are planning for a soft opening date of July 1, 2020.
Employment: We are seeking a store director to oversee the operations of the KCK store and serve the shoppers and owners in the community. https://www.themerc.coop/jobs . We're also hiring an Outreach Manager to engage residents in the co-op and what we have to offer.
Local producer relationships: We are seeking producers to supply grocery essentials to the store. Fresh Director, Martin Maigaard will host a workshop on selling to the co-op at the upcoming Cultivate KC Farmers and Friends workshop.
Community Outreach: We continue to visit and attend KCK gatherings and meetings, rarely turning down an invite as we get to know our new neighbors. This January we will present at a Kiwanas meeting, and we will continue to put out asks to neighborhood associations, clubs and more. If you would wish to have us come talk about the store, contact Valerie Taylor, Marketing Manager, at marketing@themerc.coop.
Products: We are working with our partners at AWG to refine the category layout, which shows how many linear feet we will have of bread, eggs, milk, crackers, pasta, etc.
Construction Images
Check out these building materials that were excavated from the site! Anyone have leads on what existed at 501 Minnesota in the past?
The co-op’s vision for the KCK store is to create a welcoming, multi-cultural urban market, offering products that reflect the needs and requests that we will continue to learn through community engagement. So far, we've learned that residents want to see a wide range of options in their neighborhood market, from mainstream/conventional groceries to natural, organic and local options. That's why we are planning to offer a “hybrid” mix, placing emphasis on affordable, nourishing, convenient and culturally appropriate food and products.
Our KCK store will be a community beacon that brings pride to the residents. It will be a bustling breakfast and lunch destination; a place where community groups meet; where classes are taught by local leaders in health, cooking and nutrition; and, where local producers connect with consumers and grow their business.
This is an important, transitional time for our co-op. The ability to continue to invite more of our community to shop, work, and sell their local food and products truly depends on you – our current owners – and your support. Thanks to all of our shoppers and owners who have shopped at our grocery store over the past 45 years, we have the ability to invite more people to shop, work and sell their local food to the community-owned grocery store.
