South Philly Food Co-op is now open

While there won’t be a big party just yet, you can start shopping!

South Philly Food Co-Op (SPFC), the community-owned grocery store, made its much anticipated debut on Wednesday, December 23 at noon after ten years of careful planning and construction. Conveniently located at 2031 S. Juniper Street, just north of Snyder Avenue, the store will focus on providing fresh, local, and sustainable products at affordable prices to the neighborhood. After its grand opening on Wednesday, they will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Open to members and non-members alike

Anyone can shop at the Co-op. You don’t need a membership to make purchases. There will even be weekly sales for non-members. For an investment of $300, members have access to exclusive sales and the right to vote in the annual Board of Directors election. The Co-op recently hit their goal of 1,400 member-owners by opening day. They aim to make membership more accessible with their Community Equity Fund which brings the initial cost of membership down to $5 with payment plans tailored to the individual’s budget.

About the staff

In recognition of the demographics of South Philadelphia, the SPFC staff has been selected to reflect that diversity. Both clerks and managers will undoubtedly bring their unique perspective to the store. The Co-Op strives to provide fair wages and benefits to its employees and has even set up a hazard pay fund to increase the base pay by $2 an hour during its initial months of operation.

Some of the friendly faces you’ll see at the Co-op:

>>> See photos of the full staff and read their profiles.

About the grand opening week

Due to the pandemic, safety guidelines will be followed. Masks will be required and only 12 people will be allowed in the store at a time. They anticipate that there will be lines especially in the first few weeks. In the future, there will be a celebration, maybe even a block party, according to the Inquirer. For now, we will enjoy this welcome, much needed addition to our neighborhood.