The Bethlehem Co-op Market, formerly known as the Bethlehem Food Co-op, took over ten years to develop and reach its current state.
Once finished, the 4,500 square foot community grocery at 250 E. Broad St. will be the first of its kind in the Lehigh Valley. It will feature free drinking water, a community room with wifi, a pet area, a bus stop, and bike racks outside.
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The local community owns and runs the grocery.
Approximately half a mile east of Main Street, it is set to be a welcomed addition to the area, with roughly 1,600 Co-op member-owners signing up.
During a hardhat tour of the property on Tuesday, store general manager Eric Shamis told LehighValleyNews.com that there are still some tasks to be completed before the store opens to the public. Officials started the initiative two years ago.
The store was outfitted with a $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department's Community Project Funding; however, the grant was awarded as a refund. Additionally, Shamis noted that as a startup, the co-op has experienced cash flow issues. He stated, "We are finishing out a few last financial details with our equipment book." We will be able to provide everyone with a much better timeline once those logistics are resolved. However, we plan to open soon.
On October 24, from 3 to 4 p.m., the public is encouraged to register for one of three guided tours of the store. When the "small but focused" business opens.
Available in the New Bethlehem Co-Op Market:
-Meats, both fresh and frozen
-Seafood Daily Value section featuring various monthly featured goods
-A possible option to bring your own container for the bulk foods area
-Prepared meal section with made-to-order and grab-and-go alternatives
-Chilled fruit displays for salads and fresh greens
-Cheeses made by artisans
-International cuisine
-Dairy products and substitutes
-Section on wellness
-Candies section
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the area where the shop is located is a food desert, which is defined as a census tract with a poverty rate of 20% or more or a median family income that is at or below 80% of the family income in the state or metropolitan area. Low access to food is also included in this classification because at least 500 persons, or at least 33% of the population in the tract, reside more than a mile away from a supermarket or other large grocery shop.
Before Ideal Food Basket opened at 410 Montclair Ave. this April, the western end of South Bethlehem was designated similarly. Shamis declared, "We are not going to be organic purists." Our emphasis is on natural, sustainable, and healthful foods, but we also want to make sure that our products are accessible and competitively priced. Because we want to provide the greatest possible service to the entire community, we will also carry some standard products.
According to their website, the store will take EBT and SNAP, have sale days, and even start a fresh produce subsidy program for low-income families.
Co-op Marketing Coordinator Cora Savage stated, "We are just locals who care about the initiative and want to establish a store for us and the neighborhood." A human resources specialist, an accounting specialist, a marketing coordinator, an assistant retail general manager, and a manager of prepared foods will join the company on Monday. When the team is fully staffed, the store will employ 30 to 40 individuals, including full- and part-time, according to Shamis. Two self-checkout lanes, two express checkouts with cashiers, and two classic lanes will all be available at the new store. The store intends to sell both canvas and paper bags, but plastic bags will not be available at the register.
Local muralist Matt Halm will create a mural to cover the grocery store's back wall. Afterwards, community paint days will be open to the public, who can help build the mural and leave their stamp on the store. The origin of the co-op began in 2011 when local Jaime Karpovich was searching for a red pepper inside the city limits. It took him an hour to locate one and make it back home.
Karpovich discovered she was not the only one in the city looking for a specific type of fresh food when she posted her worries on social media. The idea for the co-op was later conceived when more than a hundred people came together at the Bethlehem Area Public Library. "More than 1,500 member-owners have a voice in the co-op's operations and mission," stated Shamis. "Our means, not our aims, are profit.
"Any profit earned at the cooperative is returned to the member-owners in the form of patronage dividends, or it is retained earnings that remain within the cooperative to be reinvested." The cooperative building is four stories high and categorized as mixed-use. It has around 7,500 square feet of total space for the ground floor market and more than 40 flats spread across the three above stories.
Visit the co-op website for further details on the store's membership fees and benefits, merchandise, accessibility, and ability to accommodate special diets.
For individuals who want to participate and follow the store virtually, the website also offers recipes and a blog.
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