Wasatch Food Co-op opens in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY — A long-awaited community grocery store is officially open in Salt Lake City. The Wasatch Food Co-op, located at 416 E. 900 South, celebrated its grand opening Wednesday morning in the Liberty Wells neighborhood, marking the launch of the city’s first community-owned food co-op. Hundreds of people gathered at the Milk Block location near 900 South and 400 East for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which included remarks from Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, local farmers and co-op organizers. Doors officially opened to the public later in the morning. The opening comes after nearly 18 years of planning, fundraising, and volunteer support from community members hoping to create a grocery store focused on local food access, Utah farmers and neighborhood investment. “Many of you have invested over a decade ago because we know how important it is to keep those dollars in our local economy to support our local artisans, bakers, growers, and farmers,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said during the ceremony. According to organizers, more than 2,000 people have signed on as member-owners of the Wasatch Food Co-op. Leaders also said roughly 20% of the store’s inventory is locally sourced, helping support Utah farms, food producers and small businesses. Future Craft Farm co-owners Soni Scheig and Rachael Hall are among the local vendors now featured inside the store. They said the co-op creates a direct connection between Salt Lake City residents and nearby farmers. “It’s just really cool that any day of the week, someone can come into the co-op and buy produce from farmers that they know or within a two-mile radius from here,” Scheig said. Hall said supporting local food production is becoming increasingly important as Salt Lake City continues to grow and develop. “You really have to vote with your dollar these days,” Hall said. The co-op is also expected to create more than 20 jobs in the community as operations continue expanding. Leaders with the Wasatch Food Co-op said they hope the store becomes a long-term neighborhood resource while increasing access to local and affordable food options in Salt Lake City.

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