Beer License Discussion

Sixteen members met with board member Arthur Alexander in the community room of the Co-op on the evening of January 24^th to discuss the Co-op’s pursuit of a license to sell beer.  The Co-op is seeking an LCB Eating Place License (E-license) which would allow us to sell up to 192 ounces (two six-packs) per sale for takeout.  A December member survey had 168 responses with 90% in favor of our seeking a license.  Because there are a limited number of E-licenses issued by the LCB, the Co-op has asked the Township Commissioners to help us get an Economic Development License. The commissioners have expressed their support and will schedule a meeting in February for public comment. 

Members at the meeting on January 24 were overwhelmingly in favor of the Co-op adding beer to its product mix. All agreed that it would give the Co-op a unique product not available in competing stores and add to gross revenue.  Preliminary financial information indicates that beer sales would be profitable.  It is expected beer sales would also drive increased food sales, but that it was difficult to predict by how much. 

Discussion included interest in the Craft Beer movement and how it fits into the Co-op product philosophy. Craft brewers are defined as “small (less than 6 million barrels/yr), independent (less than 25% non-craft-brewer-owned) and traditional (50% or greater malt ingredients unlike mega-brewers that use rice and corn).” Craft beer was likened to artisan bread and hand-crafted specialty cheese.  There were questions whether or not sales would be limited to only local brewers and only craft beer.  As with other  products, the type of beer the Co-op sells would depend on member demand, but the emphasis would be on products from local craft brewers. 

If you are interested in attending the Township meeting in support of the Co-op Economic Development E-license or otherwise want to be kept in the loop as things progress, please sign up here.

Choices at the Co-op

The discussion on the member forum is off to a marvelous start, and it is truly wonderful to see so many dedicated members offering their thoughts.  I look forward to it continuing to grow.

A topic that keeps coming up is choice.  That's no surprise since the co-op is about all kinds of choices.  With 6,500 square feet of retail space, and limitations on what we can buy at decent prices, we simply can't carry every brand.  So the staff makes choices.  We have member-owners with some very specific ideas about what we should sell - yes, some push for organic, but plenty also push for lottery tickets and diet coke, and the staff and board listens to it all.  Members want to have choices in the store.

Where we started just two months ago was simply that - a starting place.  We started there based on recent member surveys (less than a year ago) as much as possible, but also based on what was easiest to buy in a short period of time, what were best-sellers from our first distributor, and what sells well at other co-ops.  And anyone who has been to the store both in the first week and now can see a tremendous difference in what we carry and how much it costs, with many more changes to come.  Having only expensive pasta sauce and cottage cheese, as folks in the forum brought up, was unacceptable.  Now there are many pasta sauce selections in the $3-4 range, and cottage cheese for just over $3.  And many other familiar brands and/or familiar prices.

You can find CreekSide's mission statement, values statement, and product philosophy here.  The staff uses these guidelines, as well as your feedback, current buying options, sales trends, and other factors, when choosing what to put on the shelves.  While we can't promise to specifically carry Folgers and Dial soap (as one person in the forum wants), we certainly should make sure to have a familiar type of product at an accessible price, while striving to satisfy our product philosophy and our members' needs.  All the better if they are brands that members ask for.  But the answer isn't to simply sell everything anyone could possibly want - there is limited space, buying limitations, and an identity that the store needs to have to differentiate it from other options.  Neither is the answer to stick to a select set of products - it is not economically viable and doesn't satisfy enough of our membership.  It is a set of careful and at times complicated choices that the store is just beginning to get at all right.

The cooperative model has, among other principles, both democratic member control and concern for community at its core.  So this is exactly the ongoing discussion that we need to have.  The key is that we are doing this together, to our collective benefit.  

Here is what we can all do to help: 

1. Buy whatever you can at the co-op.  Has anyone done all their shopping at just one food market in at least 10 years?  It is perfectly fine to go elsewhere to get whatever you can't get at CreekSide, but please buy whatever portion of your groceries possible with us.

2. Share your thoughts.  Use the member forum.  Contact us.  Come to a member meeting or a public board meeting.  Join a committee.  Run for the board this fall.

3. Spread the word.  Let your friends and neighbors know that CreekSide is listening, evolving, and is working hard to become their store too.

The co-op isn't perfect, but it's getting better.  We need your (friendly, if you can) criticism to get it right, and we also need your support.  Many people have worked diligently on this for years - not to spread some sort of food agenda, but to provide a vibrant market and community gathering place that we can all be proud of.  We're getting there, and will keep getting better with your help.  I'm glad to be doing this with you.

See you at the co-op!

Max Minkoff
CreekSide Board President

NEW BOARD - NEW YEAR

The voting is in and you have selected your new CreekSide Board of Directors for 2013.

The newly elected board members are Lew Abel, Lisa Payne-Chirico, Peter Denitz, Greta Milles, Rita Rosen Poley, Lindsey Rosenberg, Nomi Eve Saunders and Lee Soltysiak.

They join seated board members Art Alexander, Rebecca Condict, Max Minkoff, Debra Resnick, and Jeff Rotter. The new board begins its term on January 1. Members are invited to observe monthly board meetings. The schedule will be posted soon after the first of the year.

Fall Member Meeting 2012

CreekSide held it's Fall Member Meeting at Curtis Hall on December 20th.  Highlights included:

• recognition of and great gratitude for Fred Milbert, Rochelle Sauber, Andy Schloss, and Adam Silverman who have served CreekSide since its inception and have reached their term limits for serving on the board. 
• announcement of new board members
• and an illuminating presentation from interim general manager Andy Schloss, describing the progress we made and the challenges we face in getting the right product mix onto our shelves.

You can see a PDF version of the presentation here.

Thanksgiving Pies Are Ready for You!

Pies are 10” and cost $12.69 each. 

Available Flavors:

• Pumpkin
• Apple, with traditional double crust
• Apple, with crumb topping
• Apple Pear Cranberry
• Pecan
• Mixed Berry