Marquette Food Co-Op

Specialties

Whole foods, health foods, vegetarian/​vegan groceries and cuisine, fresh baked bread, full service deli, local produce, health and wellness

History

Established in 1971.

The story of the Marquette Food Co-​op begins in 1971 when a group of families came together to find a way to procure natural foods at reasonable prices in an area where this kind of food was not otherwise available. Owners took turns driving to People’s Warehouse in Ann Arbor to pick up orders. The monthly order meetings and potluck would often attract 50 – 60 owners. During this period, our Co-​op had a series of locations, first in a private house on Ohio Street, then in a garage on Third Street, and finally in a store basement near the corner of Washington and Seventh Streets. The food was kept in cold storage at Jilbert’s Dairy and hauled over to the basement one day each week.

In the mid 1970s, Common Health Warehouse in Duluth expanded its distribution area, and regular deliveries began to be made to Marquette. Though tiny, the Marquette Food Co-​op was the third largest customer after the Duluth and Keweenaw Co-​ops and were in a position to hire our first manager. As ownership cont

Meet the Manager

Matt G.

Manager

The Marquette Food Co-​op is owned by its over 4,000 owner-​members