3/25/2009 11:45:00 AM Financial shot in arm, attitude has YRGC officials singing new tune
Yahara River Grocery Cooperative general manager Wynston Estis (left) and Terri Wolf, customer service coordinator, pose with a new display map pinpointing where some of the co-op’s products originate from.
Since opening in March 2008, the Yahara River Grocery Cooperative has been on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs - including nearly closing its doors in December. Last weekend's relaunch - and new financial backing - have co-op officials hopeful the rest of their ride will be smooth sailing.
The cooperative recently secured a $60,000 Dane County Planning and Development loan - coupled with a fund-drive that netted another $30,000-plus is a good start to the YRGC's next phase.
"Growth, growth, growth," that's what Wynston Estis, the YRGC's new general manager, has planned for the foreseeable future. "For quite a while we were having to say, 'grow slow,' but now there is some excitement and fulfillment of promises."
Problems began to materialize when the co-op failed to maintain the momentum that brought about its inception in the first place. Only 200-300 co-op members - out of 900 - were actually shopping the store. And with an average weekly sale total of $10,000, the store needed to double that to cover its expenses.
And without capital to bring in more product, the co-op's shelves had many obvious empty shelves.
Co-op board members sited several reasons for the problems, including items too highly priced, not enough conventional products, a lack of consistency in product, trying to be too many things to too many people and not truly understanding the Stoughton market.
"Just limited resources on the co-op's part - we haven't had the cash influx to put product on the shelf," admitted Estis.
That was then. Now, with an influx of nearly $30,000 in product, the days of empty shelves and empty promises are behind them.
Estis said YRGC is "ready to serve (the public's) needs," with the first task ensuring everyone understands what the co-op is offering: locally owned, locally supported product.
"We have options here in many cases you can't easily find elsewhere," said Estis. "And this is a pace to come to if you want to support your neighbor. The dairy right up the road is here."
YRGC features everything from locally produced beer (think Capitol City Brewery) right down to soap (Prairie Meadow Soap of Brooklyn), as well as fresh produce, dairy and meat from local farms. It also offers a variety of natural/organic products, specialty foods such as vegan and gluten-free, as well as conventional items (i.e. Prego brand pasta sauces and Progresso brand soups).
"We've brought in quite a few more conventional products and are feathering in new Thai, Indian, South American and Middle Eastern favorites," said Estis in a news release. A build-your-own salad bar and an olive bar will be new services revealed soon.
Estis is quick to add that the co-op can't do everything: "We're small, we have to focus," she said. Right now, that focus has been on lower prices, and making sure the quality of food matches the price. And, Estis added, "filling it in. We've been hard pressed to put the product on the floor that people want to see - and they want to see it consistently. We're absolutely working on consistency."
The YRGC is also working on its image. "We're looking forward to promoting more of our product; we would love to have more polished signage and run more dynamic promos," Estis said. "With more staffing we can make better displays and add materials like recipes, food education and healthy eating tips."
She said YRGC is moving forward with the addition of a nutritionist - a volunteer who is pulling together materials for people with nutrition concerns such as sodium, gluten, dairy and heart-smart tips.
Along with a variety of new products, new attitude and new business model, it got a facelift in time for its grand re-launch celebration the weekend of March 20-22.
"We're changing the front seating area so that folks have a place to eat their salads and sandwiches," said Estis. "Look for counter seating in addition to more comfortable chairs." Also, an improved children's area will feature games and other kid-friendly touches.
"The whole atmosphere of the store has changed," said Estis. "Now that we are maturing in our staff's ability to do a good job . . . it's just a whole different feeling than what I walked into several months ago."
Estis, "borrowed" from Madison's Willy Street Co-op and serving as the interim manager, was recently approved as YRGC's general manager. With 17 years of grocery experience, she has been instrumental in revitalizing YRGC and is committed to its success.
"I am thrilled to be here for the relaunch and celebration of the community's commitment to its co-op," said Estis in a news release. "Everyone has been welcoming and helpful, you just couldn't have a better group of people here."
According to the Web site yaharagrocery.coop, the YRGC is Stoughton and southeast Dane County's only consumer-owned natural foods grocery. Cooperatives are owned by the people who use and benefit from their services and are democratically governed by a board of directors who are elected by the members.
"Shopping a co-op isn't about judgment, it's about having other options," said Estis.
"But we have to be OK with the fact that we're not everybody's cup of tea. If they do want something, we want to be their choice for natural, local products."
