.png)
Grand Opening Event Goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Just a reminder that the official Grand Opening celebration for Wild Onion Market, Chicago's newest co-op grocery store, takes place this Saturday (July 27).
The event, which comes several weeks after the store opened to the public, will be held at its location at 7007 N. Clark St. in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. The celebration will start at 10 a.m. and run through 4 p.m. The store will remain open until its regular closing time of 8 p.m.
Here's Wild Onion Market's press release about the event:
CHICAGO—Celebrating the realization of a dream launched in 2012 to build a full-service grocery co-op in Rogers Park, the 2,250-plus owners of Wild Onion Market will put on a gala Grand Opening this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Since its soft opening in early June, the fledging co-op has brought on several new vendors including local farms and breweries, and now offers prepared foods, grab-n-go items and freshly baked bread. Plus, having obtained its liquor license, the full-service grocery now sells beer, wine and spirits.
The first 50 people who come for the Grand Opening will receive goodie bags that include a reusable shopping bag and samples of various items sold at the store. Throughout the day there will be fun happenings and a great shopping experience for people of all ages.
At the community-owned grocery, shoppers can find “the best local offerings, affordable organic staples, and fresh produce, with great selections throughout the store from gourmet cheese to bulk grocery on regular, rotating sales,” said General Manager Teresa Meza.
Everyone is welcome to shop at and enjoy the Market whether they are owners or not.
Some 12 years in the making, the co-op features a wide variety of grocery items with a focus on fresh produce and local products. It also features a bulk grocery section where shoppers can fill their own containers with beans, grains and more, as well as a tempting selection of grab 'n' go items.
Wild Onion Market is at 7007 N. Clark in Rogers Park. Open to all, the store primarily serves customers from Rogers Park, Edgewater, and West Ridge in Chicago as well as suburban areas like Evanston. Located at the northeast corner of Clark and Lunt, the Market is conveniently accessible by foot, bicycle, bus, Metra and the ”L”, or by car. There is parking onsite for cars and bikes.
This Saturday, Grand Opening events will happen from the delayed store opening at 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The store will stay open for business until 8.
Wild Onion Markets’s regular hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Everyone is welcome to come shop and enjoy the store.
As of now the co-op has over 2,250 owners and always invites more to come on board. To become an owner and to learn more about Wild Onion Market, go to wildonionmarket.com.
Background:
As a food co-op, the Market is democratically controlled by its owners who annually elect a board of directors to oversee the store’s operations and finances. Currently, Wild Onion Market has over 2,200 owners and additional owners are always welcome.
In March 2012 community-minded citizens began investing in the concept of creating a new co-op store with the following goals:
• Offer fresh produce and healthy food primarily sourced from farms and producers within 200 miles.
• Keep money in the neighborhood, rather than fill corporate grocery store coffers.
• Contribute to creating a food supply chain that is transparent, just, and accessible to Midwest farmers and producers.
• Provide fair-paying job opportunities in our neighborhood.
Last summer the co-op signed up its 1,700th owner and conducted the latest of several ambitious fund-raising campaigns to raise the final $294,000 of its $2.6 million budget to buy and install grocery equipment, hire store stockers, cashiers, and kitchen staff, and obtain healthy food from local, sustainable producers. The latest campaign followed a year of remarkable progress:
- Construction began in March 2023 on a vacant once-loved neighborhood grocery store.
- Rough-in plumbing and electric work was completed and passed inspection.
- Interior walls were framed for produce prep room, kitchen area and office spaces.
- A renowned local muralist painted the Wild Onion Market logo on the store exterior and helped finalize the interior decor plan and create in-store murals, displays and a café seating area.
After the interior construction, design and décor was completed, the co-op purchased the equipment for the store: high-efficiency rooftop condensers, mostly refurbished freezers and coolers, kitchen equipment, shelving, grain barrels, three 24-foot display cases for dairy products, fruits, herbs and vegetables, plus a misting system to keep the produce fresh.
After equipment was purchased, refurbished and installed, Wild Onion Market hired a staff to run the deli Grab & Go, stock the shelves, check out customers, bag groceries, and manage the store.
Once staffed up, all hands were on deck to stock the co-op with a variety of grocery, fresh produce and wellness items - emphasizing locally produced goods whenever possible. Only then was Wild Onion Market ready to open after years in the making.
Comments