Granite City Grocery blog

Welcome Anne Nadel-Walbridge

GCG has hired its first ever Growth Recruitment Coordinator. Welcome Anne Nadel-Walbridge!

posted by | 783.20sc
June 10, 2014

Grab Your GCG Lawn Sign!

It's spring! Show your GCG pride by getting a GCG lawn sign!

Lawn signs are available at Next Chapter Bookstore starting May 10th. They are $3/sign. Limited supply, so get yours soon! These signs are for owners only.

posted by | 783.20sc
May 04, 2014

The May Update

Granite City Grocery is in full swing with our Spring Owner Recruitment Campaign. And, there's a lot more than that underway! Check out our May Update!

posted by | 783.20sc
May 02, 2014

April was a busy month for Granite City Grocery. We held back-to-back outreach events at the Quarry Grill & Tavern. Trained board members and volunteers in owner recruitment strategy, held several Committee meetings, passed a budget for the new year, and launched owner recruitment teams! Here are some pictures from some of our April outreach events! At right, GCG Prez Chris Riddell and Matt Cropp of Cooperative Vermont.

posted by | 783.20sc
May 02, 2014

GCG to Bring Affordable, Fresh, & Healthy Food Back to Downtown Barre

This is our call to action. Please share this message with your friends, neighbors, coworkers and family! Note: the message is written in the first person! Thank you for spreading the word!

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Since Grand Union closed its doors in 2001, downtown Barre has been without a grocery store. That's 13 years! It's hard to believe, but Barre is the largest city in Vermont without a full-scale downtown grocery store.

It's a problem that needs a solution. Studies show that grocery stores are a vital component of a vibrant and healthy community. They not only provide the sustenance of life; they fill the role of economic driver, community builder, employer and meeting place.

With Main Street reconstruction just a few years behind us, our community is already experiencing an amazing transformation. It's an exciting time to be living here. But, a downtown grocery store remains one of the missing pieces to the puzzle.

Nearly 2 years ago, after it became clear that no independent or chain grocer was willing to set up shop in downtown Barre, a core group of community members decided to take matters into their own hands. They - and now 400 other community members - have come together to do what over 250 other communities nationwide that lack a grocery store are doing right now: co-operate.

Granite City Grocery is a growing co-operative with the goal of opening a grocery store in downtown Barre. A co-operative is a tried and true, proven business model that allows community members to pool small amounts of money to meet pretty impressive challenges (think credit unions, electric co-ops, agricultural co-ops). Some say that a food co-op isn't a good match for Barre because they think it means 100% organic and natural foods. But, co-operatives aren't about what's on the shelves. They are a powerful form of local business ownership. What goes on the shelves will be up to us; by its very nature, our co-op will reflect our community's needs.

We are taking this effort seriously, working diligently and responsibly. We secured grant funds and community donations early on to hire a nationally-recognized group of food co-op experts to guide us through this process. We have an elected board of directors responsible for stewarding our dollars, a professional market study in hand, three top downtown locations waiting in the wings, and a workable financial model. In the 9 months since we started selling owner shares, over 400 community members have stepped up to the plate. And, I'm one of them.

Ultimately it will take 1,200 to 1,500 owners plus a good chunk of public and private financing to make Granite City Grocery a reality. While that may seem daunting, consider we're already a third of the way there and that with just 400 more owners we can reach the next exciting benchmark in our journey - securing a site. Come. Join us. Now IS the time to become an owner. Together, you and I can be a part of bringing affordable, fresh and healthy food back to downtown Barre.

posted by | 783.20sc
April 29, 2014

Co-op Development Timeline

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April 08, 2014

We're Hiring!

We have finally reached a stage in our food co-op development where we need more help. It's time for our first paid position! We're hiring for a temporary, part-time Outreach Coordinator. If you are interested, click here to read the full job description. We expect the successful candidate to start May 1st and work until December 31st, although we may extend the position through 2015. We will accept applications until the position is filled. Come work for a great organization looking to bring fresh food back to downtown Barre!

posted by | 783.20sc
March 28, 2014

More than 400 Owners!

400 owners and counting! Here are the names of the owners who are willing to let us share their names! If you are an owner and you don't see your name here and would like to, please email us at info@granitecitygrocery.coop.

posted by | 783.20sc
November 13, 2013

Meet the Candidates!

Meet your GCG Director candidates!

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November 06, 2013

Two EASY Ways to Spread the Word!

Co-ops build their owner base organically. Each owner has the power to bring in new owners by virtue of sharing their enthusiasm and the reason for becoming an owner of the co-op with their social networks - family, friends, colleagues, neighbors...

Here are two easy ways that you can encourage people to become an owner today:

Facebook post
Personal emails to people in your networks

Read on for two sample posts that you can easily use and tailor for your purposes!

posted by | 783.20sc
November 05, 2013