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SALT LAKE CITY — It's Saturday morning and the Community Co-op, found on the west side of Salt Lake City at 1726 S. 700 West, is lined with cars. The parking lot alone tells a portion of the Co-op's story. There are as many new luxury cars as there are vehicles from the early 80s. It's an organization that embraces everyone—from those on food stamps to those with a taste for local grass-fed beef and premium dark chocolate.
The Co-op has a tricky business model: provide high-quality, healthy food for less than grocery markets to shoppers from all economic levels, but especially low income.
"Typically we're 20 to 50% cheaper than grocery stores," said Jared Zemp from the Co-op. "You come to a warehouse and pick-up your food. You don't have to pay for crazy marketing. You don't have to pay for extra staff because we run off volunteerism. That's what makes the Co-op the Co-op. We buy healthy food at wholesale prices. It's not just wealthy families buying food here to help lower the prices for low-income families. It's the other way too. Everyone helps each other out."
In 2006 the Co-op began as a non-profit program as part of the Crossroads Urban Center to provide low-cost, high-quality food. After growing too large for the support staff of the Crossroads program, the project was shut down in January of 2012 to allow Crossroads to focus its resources on other community programs.
After permanent closure seemed imminent, the Community Co-op got an unexpected supporter—a local entrepreneur with a gluten allergy, Jared Zemp.
"My wife and I had been members of the Co-op for three years," said Zemp. "I had often envisioned a gluten-free co-op because the cost of gluten free is so high and the quality is so hit and miss. So in December of 2011 I told my wife that I was going to talk to the Co-op about a gluten-free co-op. She said, ‘Oh, I just got an email that the Co-op is closing.' My initial reaction was, ‘It can't close. I've wanted to do this for years!"'
Soon after, Zemp started talking with Crossroads about taking over the Co-op with other investors. It became a reality in February of 2012. Nearly 20,000 Co-op members are grateful Zemp came to the rescue. Carrie Roberts is one such member.
"After I got divorced I was broke and homeless," said Roberts. "I couldn't get any help from social services because I didn't have children and made ‘too much' money. The Co-op and the thrift store kept me going and have helped make my money go a bit further."
"Typically we're 20 to 50% cheaper than grocery stores," said Jared Zemp from the Co-op. "You come to a warehouse and pick-up your food. You don't have to pay for crazy marketing. You don't have to pay for extra staff because we run off volunteerism. " -- Jared Zemp, The Community Co-op
Since the transition, the Co-op has increased deliveries from one a month to one a week and expanded delivery pickup sites from 50 to 75 in Salt Lake, Utah, Weber, Wasatch and Davis counties.
The Community Co-op warehouse is also now open to the public three times a week with market sales on Monday and Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to noon. More than 49 local vendors are a part of market sales. Many of these vendors can also be found at summer markets but sell items cheaper at the Co-op.
"We are not like a grocery store. We are more like a farmers market." said Community Co-op Director, Katherine Ghiai. "Currently, farmers markets have a reputation for really high prices. The Co-op vendors, year-round, charge less because they believe in our mission of getting healthy food on everyone's tables."
While there have been significant changes, Zemp has even bigger dreams for the Co-op.
"Four years from now, we would like to be the number one distributor of local food in Utah," said Zemp.
He has also not forgotten about his gluten-free friends.
"We haven't expanded to the degree I've hoped yet, but it's still in the works," said Zemp. "Almost everything on our menu is gluten free, which isn't difficult because we sell mainly meat and produce. But every week we have a gluten-free sampler with pasta, a dessert and something else like an exotic grain. We'd like to bring the price down and offer more gluten-free products that you can always count on getting at the Co-op."
The Co-op also does other unique packages such as a local highlight box of assorted local foods for $15, a box of assorted organic produce for $25, and other traditional selection boxes that vary in price. But if shoppers are wary of unseen products, anyone can come down to the market sales to see and select produce in person.
After nearly a year of adapting best practices and increasing accessibility, Zemp reflects on the experience.
"There's been a few times that I wondered if all the effort has been worth it, but when you see low-income families come in and walk out with a lot of healthy food, you realize what you are doing is a lot bigger than turning around something like a carpet cleaning business."
To learn more go to, thecommunitycoop.com.
