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Woman Shopping for Groceries

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OPENING IN 2025!

The Community Investment Campaign is underway!
Together, we will build it—West Chester’s community-owned grocery store!

For More Information

Capital Campaign

Want a Sneak Peek of the Store Space:

'Sneak Peek' Store Tour

Now - 5/31/25

BECOME A MEMBER OWNER

JOIN NOW

Benefits of being a membeR-owner

OWNERSHIP

You own a piece of the pie. The store is open to everyone to shop, but member-owners get a voice, an equal vote, and much more!

COMMUNITY

Connect with your community through events, education, conversations, volunteer opportunities, and more!

SUPPORT

The full-service grocery store features healthy, local products whenever possible. Your shopping supports our local economy and the environment!

DISCOUNTS

Member-owners get specials and promotions. Your one-time membership fee can pay for itself!

PARTICIPATE

Vote for Board members, recommend products you’d like to see on the shelves, volunteer to help, or become a leader yourself. Every member gets an equal vote!

The Cooperative Difference

Local fresh food for everyone

West Chester Cooperative is working to build a full-service community-owned grocery store in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The store will be open to everyone and will provide exceptional, fresh, healthy, locally-focused food at fair prices, seven days a week. If you want to make it happen, become a member-owner today!

LEARN MORE

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NEW STORE Coming in 2025

Preparation work is underway for YOUR cooperative grocery store at 204 W. Market Street! Your Executive Board and volunteers are working tirelessly to set the foundation for 2025.

Your help is needed now to meet the initial expenses before our main Capital Campaign kicks off with exclusive, member-only investment options next year.

See full book

Current Member Owner Count: 540
WHO WILL BE #541???

CURRENT MEMBER OWNER COUNT

639

Are YOU member owner 640?

JOIN TODAY

WHY I JOINED

“I became a member-owner because I want access to fresh, local, healthy food for my family, and for the entire West Chester community .”

JOIN TODAY

How Co-ops Benefit the Local Economy:

Keeping Money Local

Co-ops are community-owned, reinvesting profits locally through support for suppliers, fair-wage jobs, and community projects. Unlike corporations, they prioritize local impact over sending profits to distant shareholders.

Job Creation

Co-ops provide stable, fair-wage jobs for local residents. Unlike traditional businesses, co-ops prioritize employee and community well-being, leading to better retention and more satisfied workers.

Support for Local Producers

Food co-ops, in particular, tend to source products from local farmers, bakers, and artisans. This creates a reliable market for local producers, helping small businesses and farms grow and thrive.

Economic Resilience

Because co-ops are community-owned, they are less likely to relocate or shut down during economic downturns. They’re invested in the long-term success of the community.

Democratic Control

Members of co-ops have a voice in decision-making, ensuring the business aligns with local needs and values. This creates a more inclusive economy that represents the people it serves.

Reduced Economic Leakage

Spending at co-ops means fewer dollars leave the community. This reduces “economic leakage,” where money spent in chain stores or online retailers often flows out of the area.

Education and Advocacy

Co-ops often invest in community education about sustainable practices, nutrition, and local economic issues, empowering individuals to make informed decisions that benefit the local economy.

We’re out and about in the community today!

Catch our awesome intern, Kyra, and board member Sherri at the Saturday Market — they’re sharing the latest updates and excitement about the West Chester Food Co-op.

Meanwhile, board members Mike K. and Mike L. are at our store location at 204 W Market Street, offering tours and giving folks a sneak peek at what’s coming in 2025!

✨ Stop by and see what the buzz is all about!
📅 Our doors are opening in 2025 — and we’d love for you to be a part of it.

👉 Join today: https://www.westchester.coop/become-an-owner

#community
#westchestercooperative

$162,737 Raised —
We’re in the home stretch of our Member-Owner Community Investment Campaign! 💚

We’re all excited about what’s ahead—but now’s the time to turn that energy into action. We still need to raise the remaining funds, and every bit helps!

✨ You can:
✅ Make a tax-deductible donation
✅ Offer a member-owner loan
✅ Give a general donation
✅ Become a new member-owner

Let’s do this—together! 💪 #WestChesterCoop #CommunityPowered #FinalStretch

Traditionally Co-ops succeed at a higher rate than a typical retail establishment. The most recent stats indicate that a Co-op’s success rate is 20% higher than the average retail success rate. The success rate of a typical retail establishment is 47% after 5 years. A Co-op's success rate after 5 years is 79%. Investing in the Co-op is an investment in a longstanding, successful business model!
Become a member-owner today!

The West Chester Co-op is out and about today:
- Sherri is at the Saturday Market
- Tim is at the store location giving tours
- Sue P is leading the team at Porchfest, where we will be serving homemade Strawberry Shortcake topped w/ ice cream and / or homemade whipped cream.

@porchfest

Only 16 Days Left! Let’s fill this carrot to the top! 🥕
The West Chester Co-op Capital Campaign is gaining momentum, and it's all thanks to YOU. With our May 31st deadline just around the corner, every single contribution brings us closer to opening our community-owned grocery store.
Help us cross the finish line — let’s do this together!

Would you rather invest your money on Main Street rather than Wall Street? Our Capital Investment Campaign will give you the opportunity to put your money to work, right here in our community!

How a Local Dollar Stays in the Community
When you spend money at a locally owned business—like a co-op grocery store, neighborhood café, or independent hardware store—your dollar doesn't just stop there. It keeps moving, working harder for your community. Here's how:

1. Local Wages & Jobs
Local businesses hire local workers. When you shop local, part of your dollar goes directly into the paychecks of your neighbors, who then spend their earnings at other nearby businesses.

2. Local Goods & Services
Independent businesses often source from other local or regional producers, like farms, bakers, accountants, repair technicians, or artists. That means more of your dollar supports other local businesses in turn.

3. Local Reinvestment
Locally owned businesses are more likely to bank with local institutions, use local contractors, and reinvest profits into community improvement, rather than sending earnings to distant corporate headquarters.

4. The Local Multiplier Effect
Studies show that for every $100 spent at a local business, $45–$68 stays in the local economy, compared to only about $13 when spent at a national chain. That’s up to 5 times the impact!

Donate today!

Have you ever thought about how much money it takes to build a cooperative grocery store, or any grocery store for that matter? The building, the shelving, the check-out lanes, the freezers, the refrigerators, the inventory, the staff...you can see it all adds up fast! Building our Co-op will likely cost millions. Some funding will come from bank loans and grants, but we’ll need to raise more than half of the funds from our existing member-owners and new member-owners like YOU!

We’re soaking up this gorgeous day — and hope you are too!
Our amazing team is out in full force today, spreading the word about your future grocery store.

Catch us in two places from 900a-100p.
• At the Saturday Market, sharing all the exciting details about West Chester’s community-owned, full-service grocery store opening in 2025.
• And at 204 W Market Street, where we’re offering exclusive Sneak Peek Store Tours of the actual space!

If you’re out and about, swing by and say hi — we’d love to see you!

#westchestercooperative
#community

We asked Don and Barb Knabb why participating in the Member-Owner Investment Campaign was important to them.
Here’s what they had to say:

“It was important to us as member-owners to support the opening of the West Chester Cooperative store with a member loan because we truly believe this store will be great for West Chester and will be more than just a place to buy high quality, local, food. The store will be an additional “community center” in West Chester where people will gather who believe that it is better to buy local then spend our money in big box stores and corporate grocery stores. The money that is spent at the store will stay local, not go off to a corporate office somewhere far from here.

The thing that makes the West Chester Cooperative great is the people and the coming together of a varied collection of folks who care about West Chester and the local economy. We have met and continue to meet fantastic people who give of themselves for the greater good, and we are honored to be part of this important step for West Chester.”

Not only did they invest, they are also volunteers on the Capital Campaign Calling Team.

THANKS DON AND BARB! We appreciate YOU!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH to Emily and Adam Bagelman for hanging our banner today. You and your team are amazing and we appreciate all of you!!!
Cheers to a great weekend.

#community.

The countdown is ON — and time is running out! We have until May 31, 2025 to reach our goal, and we can’t get there without you.

Every donation moves us closer to opening a community-owned grocery store that supports local farmers, producers and YOU. 💛

Let’s come together and make this dream real. We’ve got 29 days — let’s make them count!
Donate Today!

The best part about our Capital Campaign is the win/win/win proposition. Owners win by earning potential interest on loans to the Co-op while putting their money to work in our store. The community wins because the Co-op supports our local economy and local producers, and the Co-op wins because borrowing money from Co-op owners is less expensive than borrowing money from the bank. Not an owner yet? Become an owner TODAY!

Click the link in our bio to learn more!

Our unique Co-op structure allows us to raise funds to open our store from our membership base through owner loans and donations! Just as a sole proprietor funds their business with their hard-earned money, we, as owners of the Co-op, will have the same opportunity to help fund the construction and opening of our store.

Become an Owner Today!

We've raised $135,337 so far — our campaign is now through May 31, 2025! This is our moment. We need every owner who can to step up and help make our Co-op a reality!

It's expensive to open a grocery store! You can help the Co-op generate the capital needed to open OUR store in three ways. The first is to become an owner (if you're not, what are you waiting for?) The second way is by investing in our Community Investment Campaign, and finally, you can help by shopping at the Co-op once it’s open! If you're not an owner yet, become an owner TODAY—and keep telling your friends why you want our Co-op to open so they’ll want to join, too!

Become an owner today!

Hey West Chester!
Diana and Judy are hangin’ out at the Co-op store all day until 5:00 PM — and they want you to swing by!

Come sneak a peek at your future community-owned grocery store, opening in 2025. It’s local, it’s fresh, and it’s yours.

Come say hi and catch the good vibes!

@downtownwestchester
@westchesterviews
@hellodubc

Hello from the West Chester Cooperative Board!
Cheers to 2025 — the year we open OUR very first Chester County Food Co-op, right here in the heart of West Chester Borough!

We’re out raising a glass and taking a moment to celebrate all the amazing things happening — thanks to our incredible community. Here’s to local food, good neighbors, and an exciting year ahead!
A big thank you to everyone who’s supported us on this incredible journey — we wouldn’t be here without you!

We've raised $122,887 so far with 51 days left in our campaign! Let's keep working towards our goal - we need your help!

We have the BEST interns!
Say HI to Kate and Kyra. We are so lucky to have these two in ‘our village’ because it does take a village to build out a co-op.

We cannot wait to open, coming soon. 2025

We're off with a bang! We're super excited to announce that we kicked off our campaign and already have $115,000 committed! Whoo-hoo!

Co-ops aren't always just about food. They often offer a wide variety of environmentally friendly, sustainable, or local products from cleaning supplies to dog treats. This means WWGC can be a one stop shop for most (or all!) of your essential items. You can support a different way to shop by joining as an owner today, and by investing in our upcoming Community Investment Campaign!

Even though local businesses make up half our economy, almost none of our savings (or investing) support local business. If supporting your local economy is important to you, stay tuned! Our upcoming Community Investment Campaign will give YOU the opportunity to invest LOCAL.

When we purchase food from an anonymous big box store we know very little about where it came from (despite clever marketing ploys!). Food Co-ops bring accountability back to the food system so you can feed your family while supporting farmers/producers. Stay tuned to learn more about how your investment in the co-op is an investment in a strong food system!

Co-ops offer a different way to shop. Bulk buying and local in-season products mean cost savings for shoppers. Doesn't that sound refreshing? We think so too! Investing in our co-op is an investment in a new way to shop!

Today, the West Chester Co-op reached 599 member-owners!
Who wants to be #600?

Join today: https://www.westchester.coop/become-an-owner

If you walk by and see an empty space, don’t be fooled! The board is working hard behind the scenes on the final store design, interior details, equipment lists, and the Capital Campaign.

@greaterwestchester
@downtownwestchester
@hellodubc

#shoplocal
#community I

By directly supporting local growers and producers, food co-ops grow a resilient food system. West Chester Cooperative is growing that system right here in West Chester, PA. An investment in the co-op is an investment in a resilient local food system.

Donate today: https://www.westchester.coop/tax-deductible-donation

Co-ops are created backwards by design- the customers base is grown (we are 596 member-owners strong!), the funds are raised, and THEN the store is built! All of these things contribute to food co-ops having a much higher business success rate compared to other small businesses.

Co-ops traditionally raise at least half of the funds needed to open stores from owners, which means YOU, as an owner will have the opportunity to invest in OUR store beyond your purchase of ownership shares. Conventional loans, grants and other funding sources along with bank loans fund the rest of the project.

Learn how you can help: https://www.westchester.coop/tax-deductible-donation

What a busy and FUN day at the store!

We’ve been hard at work behind the scenes planning the store buildout and our capital campaign, and today was all about getting our space cleaned up. A huge thank you to everyone who came out to help—it truly takes a village, and we’re lucky to have such an incredible one!

For every $1000 spent at a food co-op, more than $1600 is generated in the local economy. Communities thrive through cooperatively owned businesses! Investing in the food co-op is an investment in our local economy.

To open our co-op we'll be funding everything from construction to stock on the shelves. As you can imagine, those costs add up fast. More than half of the funds we need to open our doors will come from community members like YOU! In the coming weeks and months we'll be sharing how YOU can make the co-op a reality!

Co-ops are so amazingly cool. Our friends @Portland Food Co-op have created a Substitue Shopper where they connect volunteers who are able to shop with those who aren't able to get to the store. WOW! Looking forward to the great things that our co-op will do when open. An investment in the co-op is an investment in community. Stay tuned for more info!

Food at conventional grocery stores travels thousands of miles before it reaches us. Thankfully, local food travels a much shorter distance! Sourcing food locally reduces the distance our food travels, reducing the impact on the environment while providing us with fresher, healthier food options. An investment in the co-op is an investment in the environment and our personal health!

Why do we raise the funds needed to open our store from co-op owners? Because co-ops aren't like other businesses (we know we're weird--we're ok with it!). We have the ability to raise capital from our owners. It's our unique structure as a co-op that makes us awesome--and allows owners this unique opportunity!

The best part about raising money from co-op owners to open our store is the win/win/win proposition. Owners win by earning a potential return while putting their money to work to build our store. The community wins because the co-op will support our local economy and local producers and the Co-op wins because raising money from owners is less expensive than borrowing from banks. Not an owner yet? Become an owner TODAY!

An investment in the the co-op is an investment not only in our store, but in our community. In 2022 co-ops donated nearly $8 million dollars to community organizations.

Become a member-owner today through the link in our bio!

Even though local businesses make up half our economy, almost none of our savings (or investing) goes to support local business. If supporting your local economy is important to you, stay tuned!

Did you know co-ops are founded on 7 Cooperative Principles? Yep! And one is Economic Participation. As owners we demonstrate this principle by buying shares. Another way to demonstrate the principle of Economic Participation is to participate in funding our store BEYOND the purchase of ownership shares. Stay tuned to learn more about how owners will fund our beautiful store.

Learn more about Member-Ownership through the link in our bio.

Co-ops source food locally whenever possible, meaning more money stays here in our community. West Chester and the surrounding areas are home to many local farmers and producers who will supply the products to stock our shelves. If supporting local producers is important to you, stay tuned for more information about how YOU can invest in a strong local economy!

Learn more about our store through the link in our bio!

Have you ever thought about how much money it takes to build a cooperative grocery store - or any grocery store for that matter? The land, the building, the shelving, the check-out lanes, the freezers, the refrigerators, the cooking equipment, the stock, the staff...you can see it all adds up fast! Building our co-op will likely cost millions. Some funding will come from bank loans and grants, but we’ll raise more than half of the funds from our owners and community members like YOU!

Learn more about how you can help on our website!

A strong local economy and fair wages are the backbone to a strong community. Our business model which keeps dollars circulating in our community is a win/win/win. Employees win, farmers win, the economy wins and we win as shoppers because we’ll have access to the freshest, healthiest food possible. In the coming months, we'll share more about ways YOU can invest in a healthy local economy!

Become a member-owner today: https://www.westchester.coop/become-an-owner

Our unique structure as a co-op allows us the opportunity to raise the funds needed to open our store through investments from owners. Just as a sole proprietor funds their business with their own money, we, as co-op owners, will have the same opportunity to help fund the construction and opening of our store - beyond purchasing ownership shares! Stay tuned. Over the coming months, we'll share more about how WE will raise the funds to open our co-op.

Two Birds Café is hosting a Dine & Donate Fundraiser January 15–17 to support the West Chester Cooperative!
During this event, Two Birds Café will generously donate 10% of all earnings to the West Chester Co-op to help build a community-owned, full-service grocery store in West Chester.

The West Chester Co-op has signed a lease and plans to open in Spring 2025. The store will be open to everyone, offering exceptional, fresh, healthy, and locally sourced food at fair prices, seven days a week.

To learn more about the Co-op and how you can get involved, please visit:
https://www.westchester.coop

Thank you, Two Birds Café!
@twobirdscafe_wc

#community

Today is Giving Tuesday!!!

Member-Owners and Fellow Cooperators,

Your generosity provides essential support for building a sustainable, community-owned grocery store that benefits you and every other person in the West Chester area.

During this season of giving, please consider a donation to the West Chester Cooperative. Your support now helps meet pre-construction expenses at 204 W. Market St. before our main Capital Campaign begins in 2025.

The number one frequently asked question we have been getting is:

How Can I Help?

- Support the WC Co-op with a donation now. https://www.westchester.coop/tax-deductible-donation
- Volunteer to help. https://www.westchester.coop/volunteer
- Encourage EVERYONE to become a member NOW. Member-Owner Equity is needed to build the store. https://www.westchester.coop/about-member-ownership
- Support the Capital Campaign in 2025.

Together, we’re building something extraordinary.

#community

Happy Thanksgiving from the West Chester Co-op! 🦃🍂 We’re so thankful for our amazing member-owners who made it possible to bring a full-service grocery store to our community—one that uplifts local growers and businesses.

Opening in Spring of 2025. 🍆🍓🍌🍋🥔

Here’s to good food, great company, and building something special together!

Say hello to our two newest member-owners! On the left, we have Laure, member-owner #564, and on the right, Ang, member-owner #563.

Thank you both so much for being part of the Co-op community!

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@westchestercooperative

New storefront coming in 2025

Member Owner Count: 639

OPENING IN 2025!