Check out this Member Survey Word Cloud
on handling the shutdown

Holiday Hours – Memorial Day

The Co-op’s Curbside service will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2020 – orders will not be filled and there will be no pickups.

Online ordering will be available on our normal schedule – Sunday 6pm through Friday 6pm – and will not be affected by the holiday.

Thanks, and have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

WILLIMANTIC FOOD COOP’S PREORDER REBOOT!

In response to member requests we will be once again taking preorders!

Survey on Re-opening the Bulk Department

The goal of this survey is to get input from our Member-Owners to help guide the decision to re-open the bulk department. Or not. The bulk department has been closed to shoppers since we re-opened in June and the Staff have been filling shopper’s orders.

• Bulk sales are down 14% or $70,000
• Labor expenses have increased
• Members would like to be able to refill their own containers

If the bulk department is re-opened, staff would no longer be available to fill people’s orders, except for those placed through WebCart. We ask that you contribute your thoughts via a very short survey that will run through Saturday. This survey times out 20 minutes after starting so get those comments in promptly!

Our Co-op turns 41!!!

41 cakes, 10% off everything in the store…

But as you might have guessed, that won’t be happening this year.

Instead, we will be giving every member (who has paid in all of their $120 in equity or are current on their payments) a 10% off coupon to use on a shopping trip of your choice. It will be programmed into the register, so all you have to do is tell your cashier that you would like to use your Birthday Coupon.

We have also set up an email account video@willimanticfood.coop where you could send a short video – you could sing Happy Birthday, say what you love most about the Co-op, or what it means to you. You could bake a cake and share a photo of it! We’ll put it all together and post it on our website.

We Need Your Help!

Because our store is small we can only have approximately 15 people in the store at any one time. As the days grow shorter and colder, waiting outside the Co-op will not be so much fun. It is also our busiest time of the year. We cook more, we eat more and the Holidays are full of traditional meals.

So that everyone gets a chance to shop, we ask that you:

• If at all possible, send only one person per household for each shopping trip
• Come prepared with a list so that you can get through the store as quickly as possible
• Write out your bulk shopping list separately so that you don’t have to rewrite it again for our staff to fill. Click here to see a list of our bulk items.

We have done all that we can to keep the food flowing through the Co-op. All 4 registers are operational once again. We have worked hard to stock our store with all of our normal items as well as the special Holiday goods we usually have – even some new ones! Webcart ordering is also available if that works better for you.

We are dedicated to getting food into your kitchens the best that we can.

COVID-19 ACCOMMODATIONS FOR CUSTOMERS

   As a grocery store, the Co-op is an essential business serving the public many hours each day. We are committed to putting reasonable procedures in place to limit risk to our staff and customers.
   To aid in minimizing the spread of the coronavirus and for the safety of anyone and everyone in our store, we will no longer allow anyone in the store without a mask.
   Currently COVID-19 is a recognized threat in the workplace. Under applicable law, businesses are allowed to consider reasonable modifications and accommodations when there is a direct threat in the workplace to ensure the safety of our staff, customers, and vendors. We are committed to providing everyone access to the Co-op’s goods and services. For our customers who are not able to wear a mask or need additional support for any reason, we are offering the following accommodations:

Curbside Pickup

   The WebCart Curbside Pickup program is available for anyone to use and serves as an accommodation for our customers who are at high-risk and for those unable to wear masks. For customers who attest that they are unable to wear a mask due to a medical condition or disability and thus cannot shop in the store, we will waive the picking fee, regularly $5 per order (picking fee is also automatically waived for shoppers paying with SNAP benefits).
   Please click on the “CURBSIDE PICKUP ONLINE ORDERING” button on this page, where you will find instructions for placing a curbside order. If you have questions, need technical support, or do not have access to a computer or the internet, call the store at 860-456-3611, and we will assist you in placing an order for curbside pickup.
   WebCart orders can be placed online 24/7, and there is generally a 48 hour wait time, depending on order volume. Orders may be picked up anytime the store is open, 9am-7pm every day.
   If you need something outside the parameters of this service, please call the store at the number above and let us know what you need. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Text or Written Instructions

   The hearing impaired may request email, written or text communication with our staff in the store or through our Curbside service.

Other barriers and requests:

   There is no one-size-fits-all accommodation, so if you are encountering challenges in accessing our services, please call 860-456-3611 and ask for a Manager and let us know what you need so we can work with you to find a resolution.

Hello! We are pleased to announce that the Co-op will be reopening on Thursday June 11, 2020 at 10 am. We are excited to have all the life that our members and shoppers bring back inside our store once again. We appreciate your patience as we figured out the best and safest way to meet the needs of our very diverse community and provide you with the food that sustains us all.

Open 9am-7pm Every Day
Masks Required
Limited Number of Shoppers
Social Distancing at All Times
Curbside Available for a $5 Fee
(Fee effective June 11, automatically waived for SNAP shoppers)

As much as I would like to say everything will be like it was before, that just isn’t possible.

Dear Willimantic Food Co-operators,

Beginning on Friday, March 20, at 9am, the Co-op will be limiting the number of shoppers in the store to 10 at a time.

We will ask shoppers to form a line outside the store, remaining six feet apart, until it is your turn to go in.

Seating will be provided.

If you are unable to wait in line, please designate a friend to hold your spot.

Preferably, use our curbside pick-up service.

We hope that this measure will help keep our staff and patrons safe and healthy.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and most of all, your co-operation!

It is often the case, in difficult times, that our Coop is an important resource for our community. The potential presence of coronavirus (COVID-19) in our area is proving that this continues to be true.
You have come to us in recent days to stock your pantry, replenish cleaning supplies, and prepare alongside others in the community. As a grocery store, our co-op is in the unique position of offering essential services for our community while also doing all we can to minimize risk to our staff, members, and shoppers.
In light of the situation our community finds itself in, I want to share the things our co-op is doing to best serve you, care for our staff, and be a responsible member of our community:

• While we have had no reported COVID-19 infections in our co-op, we have asked any staff exhibiting symptoms of respiratory illness or fever to stay home and notify their physician. Our co-op has a generous sick and vacation policy, and we are working with employees on a case-by-case basis to ensure they have the support they need.
• We are making hand sanitizer and wipes available at the entrance, exit and near the carts. Staff are also frequently cleaning all high-touch areas throughout the day – cart and shopping basket handles, cooler doors etc
• Our co-op prides itself on its cleanliness and food safety standards. This includes frequently sanitizing high-touch locations like credit card machines, scales, bathroom areas and, as mentioned above, carts and handbaskets. We have heavily invested in training our store’s management teams on food safety, with the majority of store and department leaders having their Serv-Safe certificates.
• We have temporarily ceased all sampling.
• All repacking of Bulk Foods is always done while wearing gloves.
• We are doing all that we can to be sure that our shelves are well stocked. This is very challenging – supplies are running low in all of our supplier’s warehouses. Sometimes there is a delay in deliveries and sometimes the product is truly not to be had. We will continue to work closely with our suppliers to ensure we have the essentials that you are seeking, like pantry staples, cleaning supplies, and health and body care items.

Throughout all of this, we are making additional efforts to demonstrate our gratitude to our staff who continue to work each day with commitment, compassion, and kindness to ensure our store is stocked, clean, and ready to serve you.
We will continue to monitor closely and be nimble in adjusting our operations to prioritize the health and safety of you and our staff.

Sincerely,
Alice Rubin
General Manager

  

  

Job Opening – Part-time Cashier

NOW HIRING: Cashier/Wellness Clerk. Part time, 24 hours. Click here for full job posting.

NOW HIRING: Assistant Front End Manager. Full time. Click here for job posting.
Click here for full job description.

NOW HIRING: Produce Department Team Member. Part time. Click here for job posting. 

AHORA CONTRATANDO: Miembro del departamento de alimentos frescos. Haga clic aquí para la publicación de empleo. 

NOW HIRING: Part-time Cashier. Click here for job posting. 

AHORA CONTRATANDO: Cajero a tiempo parcial. Haga clic aquí para la publicación de empleo. 

After submitting your application, please wait to be contacted by a hiring manager. We consider all applications, keep them on file for a year, and review all previous applications each time we have an opening. We are not able to call or interview every applicant. If you are not contacted, please feel free to call or come in and update your application when there is a new job post. 

We accept unsolicited applications, download one here:

Interested in Proposition 138 which has been introduced in the CT legislature to enhance the existing CT Co-operative statutes and encourage more co-ops to incorporate in our state? The bill was initiated by the Willimantic Food Co-op, Fiddleheads Co-op in New London and developed with the support of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association. It was passed by the CT House and Senate and signed into law by the Governor on June 26, 2019.

Effective Saturday March 21, the Co-op will continue with curbside pickup but we are closing the store temporarily to all shoppers. We do not know when we will reopen. We are doing this out of concern for the safety of our shoppers and our staff. We wish we could have given more notice for this drastic step, but we are in unprecedented times.

We are committed to getting food to everyone who needs it and feel that we can best do this with curbside pickup for the time being. We believe we can do this more safely and effectively if the store is closed to the public. Even so, it might take 24-72 hours to fill orders. We will pre-arrange pickup times.

Curbside Co-op – Order ahead and pick up

Gift Cards – Purchase here

We are doing the best that we can to get food to the Co-op, but there are still supply problems. We ask for your patience, understanding and flexibility during this very challenging time. We love and appreciate you!