Louisville Community Grocery

Category: Owners Meeting

  • Recap of July 18 Owners Meeting

    Recap of July 18 Owners Meeting

    Sixteen owners attended the July 18, 2026 Owners Gathering and Meeting. We began by enjoying delicious food from Caked Up Ent Catering of Louisville. Board member Judy S opened the business meeting by inviting veteran owners to talk about LCG co-op organizing and what has worked in the past. Owners shared the following positive experiences from past years:

    • commitment, discipline, consistency among board members and owners
    • a sense of community, a sense of shared purpose in working together to open a cooperatively owned grocery store
    • specific ways to enter the work

    Next, those present offered the following areas that need improvement now:

    • need to set strategic goals for engaging current owners over the next year
    • need more informal fellowship times to build community and trust
    • need to implement the onboarding process developed by the Ownership & Outreach Committee for owners to become involved
    • need tangible ways for owners to contribute time as organizers and as “worker bees”
    • need a database to collect owner information and a dedicated volunteer to keep it updated
    • need a way for prospective owners to join and if technology is a hurdle then consider simpler ways (i.e. cash or check)
    • we may need to reconsider the role of owners – not just as investors, but active members

    Judy then summarized the options MK Lindsey of Winter Wheat presented at the February Owners Meeting regarding the case studies she researched and LCG’s possible way forward:

    1. closure & dissolving assets for the benefit of a like-minded project; 
    2. partnering with a like-minded project or partner; 
    3. re-organizing better.

    For the next hour we had a panel discussion with Barry Z., owner and former member of a food buying club, and Birch Bragg, owner of LOCALS in Louisville and Frankfort.

    Barry talked about his experience as a buying club member in the 1970s at another co-op. He shared about the various jobs the co-op members would do as part of the buying club, such as contacting farmers to find out what they had for the coming week, picking up produce from the farmers and bringing it to the distribution site, bagging the grocery items for the buying club members to pick up, managing the orders and handling the money. Barry noted that courts closed many co-ops in the late 70s due to not paying members for their work which became a violation of the new employment tax laws. This raises awareness for us about our business model as we consider opening a buying club as a Limited Cooperative Association (LCA) in Kentucky.

    Birch discussed his business endeavors beginning with forming a Bowling Green community supported agriculture (CSA) to get farmers’ food in people’s hands. He has since expanded to a grocery store model with a restaurant component. He noted that the restaurant stabilizes the grocery business. Birch offered to share information and resources when LCG is ready to discuss. He suggested contacting Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s cabinet for grants and answers to business questions.

    After a stretch break, we agreed that LCG would need to have at least 15 owners commit to joining a buying club working group for the project to continue to be developed. We will spend the next few weeks sounding a call for owners to step up. If we do not get 15 owners to commit, we will let the buying club project go.

    We continued to discuss what a food buying club working group would be tasked to do:

    • First priority is to learn the legality of owners volunteering to run the buying club for the LCA; if this is not possible, how many employees would be needed?
    • Starting from scratch. We need to make a timeline for the buying club. 
    • Finances. We need to make a business plan; initial capital for equipment, funding for supplies
    • Product. We have a buying club survey with over 50 responses indicating top priorities for owners interested in joining a food buying club.
    • Location. The Kling Center has offered space and refrigeration.
    • Operations. Staffing – employees and volunteers

    There was some concern around a food buying club being for “subscribers” only vs. open to the public. Does this line up with our purpose? Will this turn people away from LCG if they cannot become regular subscribers to a buying club? A hybrid version with subscribers and walk-up sales was suggested as well.

    Action: Lead Team (Abby L, Judy S, Carrie V, Barry Z, and Carlos N.) will commit to the buying club working group. We need 10 more owners to join these leaders. A poll will go out in our e-news and voice messages asking for owners to choose a meeting time in August for the first organizational meeting. These dates are August 5, 19, 26, and 27 at 6:30 – 8:00 PM.

    Get involved with the Buying Club team
  • Owners Meal & Meeting 2/19/2026

    Owners Meal & Meeting 2/19/2026

    Quick recap

    The meeting was well attended and focused on discussing the future of Louisville Community Grocery (LCG), a cooperative grocery initiative, following the dissolution of its partnership with LACE. MK Lindsey presented case studies of successful food co-ops across the country, highlighting different business models and operational approaches. The group explored four potential paths forward: transferring operations to another entity, finding a developer for property development, establishing a food hub/distribution center, or continuing with the current mission. Roger Quinn, president of the Arthur Kling Old Louisville Community Center, offered his facility as a potential location for a food hub operation. The conversation ended with discussions about Board membership expansion and the need for continued owner engagement through 4 active committees, with door prizes awarded to several attendees.

    Summary

    Cooperative Enterprise Financial Stability

    The meeting focused on the financial status and future steps for a cooperative enterprise. The Board reported that the LCG finances are stable for at least two years. The lenders have expressed confidence in the group’s mission, allowing them to manage the funds responsibly. The discussion also touched on the importance of community representation and the need for sustainable strategies to achieve their goals.

    Co-op Leadership and Development Updates

    The Board discussed the need for a finance chair to support the new treasurer and emphasized the importance of financial oversight for the co-op’s credibility. They also highlighted the need for a co-op owner to take on the role of Board secretary. They mentioned the ongoing survey about the co-op’s future, which remains split between two options, and encouraged attendees to consider alternative paths forward. They concluded by introducing the Site Selection and Business Development Committees’ work, noting their shift from focusing on the Finzer property to exploring new options due to delays in the Smoketown Community Land Trust’s development plans.

    Co-op Grocery Store Insights

    The meeting focused on a presentation by MK Lindsey, who shared insights from her research on co-op grocery stores, including a case study of the Dorchester Food Co-op in Boston. Lindsey highlighted the co-op’s demographic alignment with the group’s target areas, its lease model, and the challenges of long-term rent increases. She also discussed the co-op’s investment in infrastructure, such as walk-in coolers, and its reliance on grants, community investment, and traditional debt financing. The presentation concluded with a reflection on the Dorchester’s regret of not implementing pickup and delivery services earlier, which they felt was costing them revenue.

    MK Lindsey presented three case studies: a co-op that faced financial challenges but was stabilized by a 10-year grant, Weaver Street Market in North Carolina which achieved significant scale through vertical integration and community-focused practices, and Eastside Food Co-op in Minneapolis which doubled in size through a successful expansion. The discussion highlighted key factors for success including member capital, strong partnerships, careful site selection, and community engagement. 

    Grocery Store Development Strategy

    The Board presented a strengths/weakness/opportunities/threats (SWOT) analysis highlighting opportunities such as new grocery stores in The Highlands in Louisville, as well as potential partnerships with housing authorities and local farmers. However, challenges were also noted, including the complexity of real estate deals and the need to determine store operations and staffing. The group also reviewed their timeline since 2015, including past negotiations with Louisville Metro Government for bond funding and their current efforts to move forward after dissolving a partnership with LACE.

    Community Grocery Initiative Future Plans

    The meeting focused on discussing the future of LCG, exploring various paths forward including partnering with a community center, continuing development of a brick-and-mortar store, or creating a food hub. The group discussed the possibility of using the Arthur Kling Old Louisville Community Center’s basement space as a temporary location, with the Center’s president offering to provide the space on a revenue-sharing model. The conversation ended with announcements about the upcoming Ownership and Outreach committee meeting on March 2nd by Zoom, Board membership roles open (seeking 5), and a call for volunteers to help with fruit tree pruning in community gardens (Reach out to Amanda for more information).

    Please contact LouisvilleCommunityGrocery@gmail.com with questions, to volunteer, and to receive calendar invitations to upcoming committee meetings.