The Detroit People’s Food Co-op is OPEN!

Congratulations, Detroit People’s Food Co-op!

Yesterday, on May 1st, after fourteen years of organizing, community building, and business planning, the Detroit People’s Food Co-op (DPFC) opened the doors of its store to the Detroit community. We are overjoyed for the 3,000 (and counting!) community owners, their neighbors, board, staff, volunteers, and partners.

The opening of this Black-led, community-owned grocery store is truly historic. As they shared in a recent press release, the DPFC “is more than just a grocery store; it is a beacon of hope and resilience for the people of Detroit.” Detroit residents have long faced the consequences of historic redlining, disinvestment, and structural racism, including a lack of stable access to affordable, high-quality food. The DPFC aims to break this cycle while at the same time building Black food sovereignty within Detroit’s North End and beyond.

The DPFC is a leader in the startup food co-op community, and it has been a true honor to work and learn alongside these brilliant cooperators. They have mentored and inspired other startup food co-ops across the country, and taught us at FCI so much about community organizing and co-op development. We’re grateful to the DPFC leadership for consistently lending their experience and knowledge to the startup movement through our FCI Live series and FCI Peer Learning Groups, as well as at the Up & Coming Food Co-op Conference. The DPFC won Up & Coming’s Best of the Best Award in 2023 and the Bill Gessner Startup Food Co-op of the Year Award in 2022.

The DPFC’s grocery store is housed within the Detroit Food Commons building, which, in addition to the food co-op, will offer space on the 2nd floor to serve as a hub for educational workshops, community events, and initiatives aimed at promoting health and wellness. Spearheaded by the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network and Develop Detroit LLC, the DPFC and the entire Detroit Food Commons will celebrate their grand opening on May 18th. We can’t wait to be on site for the celebration later this month, and to shop in the US’ newest cooperative grocery store! (We’ll be sharing pictures and videos on our social media that day, more to come!)

The DPFC officially opened for business on May 1st, with great fanfare and excitement. These joyful photos have been shared on social media and in the news. We’re so grateful to those who shared photos and videos so we could witness this day!

Left photo: DPFC representatives joyfully standing together in a colorful produce department (shared via many social media accounts)

Right photo: Shopper looking at a colorful produce display. Photo credit: Steve Neavling, Detroit Metro Times

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