By Ellen Spitaleri
The Brooklyn Grocery Co-op has a new name and a new location, but the hyper-local, value-based products are the same.
The co-op began as a private buying club called Food Club: Know Thy Food in the early 2000s. Then, as its popularity grew, it moved to 3434 SE Milwaukie Ave. in 2010.
In 2015, the Know Thy Food Co-operative was born and was at that location until this past October, when it moved to its new site at 1420 SE Powell Blvd., and was re-named Brooklyn Grocery Co-op, said Jocelyn Mueller, general manager.
She noted that, although the location has changed, the co-op, being a neighborhood store, will still sell a lot of eggs, milk and sugar, and will continue to stock what the store is best known for: bulk oils and high-quality meats.
Anyone can shop at the grocery co-op, Mueller said, adding that co-op members can get 10 percent off products two days a week and get online access to order directly from farmers and vendors, among other perks.
When Mueller joined the board in 2015, she was the only board member who lived in the Brooklyn neighborhood. So when it came time for the co-op to move, it was important to her to keep a grocery store in her area.
“I also really believe in the food we sell, and I value the relationships we have with the farmers we work with, the community partners we have and our community overall,” she said.
At first, Mueller was worried about losing customers in the new space, but so far the move has been positive. “We have seen increased foot traffic, being right next to the post office, and, since it was formerly the Twilight Café, it has enabled us to relaunch our café that shut down during COVID,” she said.
Along with the opening of the new space, the co-op has transitioned to making serving the community part of its mission. “We have begun to offer a monthly market at 11 am the second Sunday, and hope to expand to a weekly farmer/artisan market this summer,” Mueller said.
When bringing in products to the co-op, the strategy is to bring in as many items that are Pacific Northwest-based as possible. “When we are looking at adding products, we look at where it is produced, how it is produced and also how the product supports a healthy community,” Mueller said.
“One of our signature products is ground beef mixed with heart and liver, which was developed with one of our rancher partners, Pat-n-Tams Beef,” Mueller said. “Because we work with farmers and ranchers directly, we can help close the loop between what our members want to see in terms of products, and what our ranchers are able to produce.”
She added that the café serves food, smoothies and simple fare that is made with fresh ingredients.
Mueller noted that many hours of love, sweat and tears have gone into the business. “Seeing us grow and thrive is very rewarding, but we are not out of the woods yet. We are still struggling under debts that started to grow under COVID,” she said, adding that “we took a big risk making this move and we are trying to make it pay off.”
She recommends that people stop by the store to see the variety of products and visit the website to look at the full benefits of becoming a member of the co-op, in addition to seeing what events are coming up for that month.
The co-op is open Monday-Saturday, 9 am-7 pm, and Sunday, 10 am-6 pm.
Brooklyn Grocery Co-op
1420 SE Powell Blvd.
brooklyngrocery.coop
503.206.5766
Salesclerk Harrison Crowe sorts through some fresh fruit at the Brooklyn Grocery Co-op, while a customer checks out drinks in the refrigerator case. Photo by Ellen Spitaleri.
