Save the Riverwest Co-op Grocery & Cafe

For over 22 years the Riverwest Co-op has been more than a grocery store and cafe; it has been your local corner store with a conscience, selling a wide variety of locally sourced and organic food, a community gathering place, and much more! 

The Riverwest Co-op needs your help NOW.  

We have been asking for urgent help with saving the Co-op, and now the situation is even more dire. We are just weeks away from having to close our doors unless we can get additional funding to help us survive. We are counting on you to help keep the Co-op’s doors open!  

Our prospective lender unfortunately has decided not to recommend the Co-op’s $150,000 loan application for approval. At our current rate of financial losses, the Co-op can survive for only one more month before having to close unless we receive a considerable capital influx, reducing our costs dramatically, and reformulating our original revitalization plan. 

The Board of Directors consequently is adopting an immediate, three-pronged strategy:  

Fundraising: A GoFundMe campaign to raise a minimum $50,000 for 2024, dedicating a small portion to daily operations until we complete the other two prongs; 

Cutting: We will coordinate with the Worker’s Collective on reducing the Co-op’s hours and services over the next weeks, potentially leading to payroll cuts; and  

Planning: We will reformulate the revitalization plan in order to apply for smaller loans and to invest the money raised into the Co-op. 

 

The coming weeks will be very difficult, with discussions about reducing payroll expenses and possibly closing the Co-op. That said, we have reason for optimism. Our November 2023 gross profit percentage improved dramatically from prior months due to pricing structure adjustments. Our café sales also increased 64% from the same time last year. These developments imply that our revitalization plan can work if we have enough financial capacity to put it in place. 

To support the Co-op during this difficult time, please spread the word by sharing this campaign; tell your friends, family, and neighbors to help save the Riverwest Co-op! Your donation is greatly appreciated and WILL make a difference. Your support today will allow us to be here tomorrow and in years to come. You may also give by cash, check, or credit card at the store, or by mail. 

*Please note that, because we are not a non-profit organization, donations are not tax deductible.

Other ways you can support the Co-op: 

• Eat at the Cafe on Fridays: Back by popular demand, the café now is open every Friday, 4 - 8 PM, for Philly Fridays with a rotating sandwich menu. The more that you join us on Friday evenings for Phillies, the more that we can keep the Café open. 

• Buy groceries: When at all possible, shop the Riverwest Co-op first! With our limited space and capacity, we acknowledge that we may not be your one-stop shop, but keep us in mind as the first stop on your shopping trips. #FirstStopRWCoop 

• Round up: Those extra cents can go a long way. Please ask your cashier at the Co-op to “round up” your purchase to the nearest dollar. 

• Volunteer: For 22 years, our model has revolved around volunteerism. The more that you volunteer in the grocery store, in the café, on a committee, or on the Board, the more our coordinators and staff can focus on implementing crucial changes for the Co-op’s financial sustainability. 

Please visit riverwestcoop.org for more information on volunteering. The Board, coordinators, staff, and volunteers are working hard to make our Co-op more financially sustainable. We have just completed a nearly year-long feasibility study with a consulting group, Columinate. We have a plan for how we can be successful for many years to come, but that plan requires investing in equipment, staffing, marketing, and so forth, for which we do not yet have the funds to put in motion. 

We need your help! We need YOU! Thanks very much, as always, for your continuous dedication and support. 

 

The Riverwest Co-op Board of Directors