The Detroit People’s Food Co-op Opens Its Doors (14 Years in the Making)

On Wednesday, May 1, the Detroit People’s Food Co-op, a Black-led, community-owned supermarket, officially opened its doors.

Located at 8324 Woodward in Detroit’s North End, this 15,000-square-foot store occupies the ground floor of the 34,000-square-foot Detroit Food Commons complex. The co-op offers a wide range of products including fresh produce, bulk food, a prepared deli section, shelf-stable pantry items, and other grocery essentials.

The second floor of the complex houses office space, a banquet hall, and four shared commercial kitchens. These kitchens, managed by chef Gabriel Vincent, are designed to support local food-based businesses by providing a commercial commissary kitchen—a much-needed resource in Detroit.

The store’s inventory strategy is specifically tailored to meet the needs of the local community, as identified through a community engagement process led by the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network. To address local concerns about cost and the availability of staple products within the city, the store stocks 50 percent conventional and 50 percent organic products. This balance helps maintain consistent pricing across the store.

The co-op is also part of the National Co+op Grocers, which enhances its purchasing power and supports operational capacity for its 161 member food co-ops across 39 states, all while maintaining each co-op's autonomy.

Local collaboration is a key feature of the co-op, which works with four local growers to supply fresh produce. These include Oakland Avenue Farm Urban Farm, D-Town Farm, Green Boots Veteran Community Urban Farm, and another nearby farm. In total, the co-op carries over 70 locally-sourced products. All local vendors must go through an intake process, and products must be prepared in a licensed commercial kitchen and properly labeled.

Development of the site, which cost an estimated $22 million, faced delays due to supply chain issues. Last year, the co-op received a $100,000 grant from Motor City Match.

Additionally, a prolonged membership campaign was initiated, culminating in over 2,800 member-owners joining by the opening date, each paying a one-time $200 fee. Despite this, the store is open to the general public, with no requirement for membership to shop.

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