Kensington Co-op Moves Closer to Completion
Kensington Community Food Co-op is about a year away from opening in Kensington, according to board members.
AMANDA STALLER / Philadelphia STAR PHOTO
After years of planning, fundraising and outreach, the finish line is finally in sight for the Kensington Community Food Co-op (KCFC), 2666-2672 Coral St.
Since finding a home in the building that used to house Shannon’s Tavern, the member-owned, community-driven cooperative grocery store is inching closer to opening its doors to the public.
The KCFC board hosted a coffee klatch and opened their doors to the community for casual conversion on Saturday, Jan. 16.
Highlights included the plans for the space, a timeline of the project and the importance of the cooperative business in the ever-chaining landscape of Kensington.
“We’ve secured about two-thirds of the project’s estimated cost,” said Oren Eisenberg, KCFC volunteer and secretary of the committee. “It’s a sooner rather than later vision.”
Currently, KCFC board members are working with an architect on store designs. Once the designs are finalized, the board will go forward with bidding and construction costs. The timeline, however, depends on how fast the board and its members can finalize the rest of the financing.
In July, KCFC posted on their blog two floor plan possibilities for the future space, which included a wine bar and outdoor patio seating area.
With around 730 members, KCFC board members hope to expand that number to 1,000 in the near future in order to secure the capital needed to renovate the space.
“The reason the membership number is so important is that is shows the lenders that there’s community support for the store,” said Caiti Rothenberg, secretary of the KCFC board of directors. “It shows that people will shop here and we can be successful.”
While the co-op is looming closer to its opening, which Rothenberg predicts is about a year out, the core mission and values remain the same as they were years ago when the co-op was conceptually conceived.
“The co-op itself was sort of born out of EKNA,” said Colleen Watts, 36, KCFC board member.
According to Watts, concerned neighbors started brainstorming about the idea for a cooperative, member-owned grocery store around the same time SugarHouse Casino was making its way to Delaware Avenue.
“There was a real feeling of resistance against that and a lot of folks who were involved wanted to create something that would be a positive force in the neighborhood as opposed to resisting,” Watts said.
Over the years, board members have focused on finding a permanent home, recruiting members and projecting the values that the co-op hopes to bring to the neighborhood.
“Co-ops historically in some areas might have the stigma of not being open to the community, an option only for rich people or people of money,” Watts said. “In this area, we are looking at communities that are really different from each other.”
One of the most important aspects for the board members of KCFC was to cater to all residents of the surrounding community, focusing on being open and welcoming to those of different socioeconomic backgrounds.
“Every co-op I know is a community hub for the folks in their community,” Watts said. “You go to the co-op, you see your neighbors shopping, you’re helping your neighbors and interacting with them and you’re buying stuff that you’ve had some input in.”
For those involved with KCFC, this is not simply a grocery store. Once completed, KCFC aims to promote community around food, not just a way to purchase it.
“We actually want the co-op to be the person’s third home, and that’s how we’re positioning it,” Eisenberg said. “The co-op is not just a place you go to get your food, but it’s a destination to see your neighbors, have a snack or drink with your friends, and to be in this neighborhood supported by those who are close to you.”
With a focus on community ingenuity and locally sustainable products, KCFC fits the neighborhoods current state of mind.
“What’s so special is that it’s community-driven and it keeps that mentality going,” said Nic Esposito, president of the East Kensington Neighbors Association and KCFC member since 2011. “The community is rapidly changing and there’s a lot of new people coming in. To keep that huge root in community by having your own community-run grocery store is really important.”
With Mariposa Food Co-op, 4824 Baltimore Ave., and Weaver’s Way Co-op, 559 Carpenter Ln., being the only other cooperative grocery stores in Philadelphia, KCFC board members believe they’ll be filling a much-needed gap in access to food.
In addition to adding to the strong sense of community-driven business in the neighborhood, KCFC looks to add to the economic development of the surrounding area.
“Dollars invested in a co-op generate more economic development than in a conventional grocery store and that only makes our community even better,” Watts said.
For $200, a price that can be broken down over a five or 10-month period, community member could claim partial ownership in KCFC.
“As owners, you’re invested,” Watts said. “You have skin in the game.”
Additionally, membership opens access to KCFC’s Shop Local Program, where participants can receive discounts from over 50 local businesses.
When KCFC’s doors finally open to the neighborhood, shoppers will be able to purchase locally sourced produce, grab snacks and sandwiches, and even grab a six-pack of beer or bottle of wine.
While KCFC may appear to some as simply a grocery store, the core values and mission of the company look to ripple out into the community, affecting both the people and the economy surrounding it.
“The power of the co-op is so huge,” said Rebecca Torpie, KCFC board member. “When people get together to do something good in their community, it’s so much bigger than the top down. When you work from the bottom up, I think it’s so much more powerful. You can do a lot together.”
For the latest updates about KCFC, visit kcfc.coop/.