Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Grant Kessler, board member of Chicago Market - A Community Co-op, located in Chicago, IL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Chicago Market is a start-up community-owned grocery co-op that exists to rebuild the connection between food producers and consumers. Powered by its individual Owners (over 2,100 and growing!), each of whom owns a stake in the store, the Co-op will feature local, sustainable foods from producers right here in the Midwest. We’ve secured a lease with the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) for the former ‘L’ station at the corner of Wilson and Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood and are in fundraising mode now. Once we’ve raised the needed capital, build-out will begin, and we’ll get our store open!

There are benefits to Ownership, but everyone will be welcome to shop our store. It will draw nearby neighbors but also others across Chicago who are looking for local foods every day of the week.

Tell us about yourself

I know where my food comes from and often start dinner by calling out the farms and farmers' first names for those who put the foods on our plates. So in the spring of 2013, I attended an informational community meeting to learn about the possibility of starting a co-op grocery store on the north side of Chicago. I was immediately hooked by the opportunity to have more ready access to the groceries I buy now at farmers' markets. I was also very drawn to the idea that a co-op can have a powerful impact on the lives of the farmers by giving them a solid outlet for their goods that our larger food system doesn't offer.

I volunteered. I joined and led the Board as president for 8+ years and am still on the Board. And I have come to realize the power of the cooperative to be more than a grocery store. We are not even open yet, and we are a wonderful community of people working together to create a positive difference in our food system. It is grassroots change. We are building something meaningful right here in our neighborhood. I came for the food and have stayed for the community.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I’m only one of the thousands who own this business together, but my proudest moments over the years as a Board member working to move this project forward have been when we succeed at being what we say we are — a cooperative that works together and is driven by our values. I was proud when one day, a volunteer had become a strong enough part of our team that she could go speak on our behalf on a podcast, rather than always relying on Board members. It showed we were empowering others. I was proud the first time we hosted a Holiday Pop-Up Market in our raw space, and the whole community was there participating, shopping, singing. I could see we were welcoming and including others. And although it was difficult to step down as president, I was proud to know that together we’d built up an organization from scratch that now was bigger than any one person.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I own this business alongside 2,100+ friends and fellow community members. As a Board member, I help safeguard it and drive it forward to an open store, the thing we all want. Things take time, and for me, one of the toughest things is knowing there are Owners who are frustrated that we are not open yet.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Recognize that the primary work for many, many years is NOT opening a grocery store; it is community organizing and volunteer coordinating. And speaking of volunteers, build your organization such that you trust and empower others.
  2. Reflect on your community’s needs and wants in your mission and vision. The co-op is not your idea; it is the community’s idea, and you need them in order to carry it forward.
  3. Be tenacious and persistent and in it for the long haul. It is common for co-ops to take 8-10 years to get open. Build that understanding in yourself, in your fellow leaders, and in your owner/member base, so everyone knows how long it will take.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Co-ops bring an incredible amount of value to their communities. They buy local goods. They provide good local jobs. They are drivers of sustainability, offering bulk foods, lower packaging, strong food waste programs, not to mention they support the farmers who are taking such good care of our air, water, and soil through their farming methods. Co-ops give back to their communities through volunteering and charitable giving. They retain economic power in their communities — profits go back to the many owners who live right there, not to a distant shareholder or corporate office.

So find the co-op in your community and support it. Become an owner there. Shop there. Volunteer there. And support financially any way you can. Co-ops face a lot of hurdles in their development, from finding their owner base to locating a suitable site to building a business plan and financial pro forma that models success, to the late-stage challenge: fundraising. It’s a foundational principle of co-ops that the owner community participates in the funding of the startup costs. But it’s tough to work, and co-ops are becoming more and more expensive to open. So help if you can. Why invest on Wall Street when you can invest on Main Street? In our case, that’s Broadway and Wilson! And if you’re interested, our capital campaign is open now, offering Preferred Shares, and there are ways for anyone anywhere to participate. Send us an email!
funding@chicagomarket.coop

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.chicagomarket.coop/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chicagomarket
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicago_market/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chicagomkt
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chicago-cooperative/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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