If the old “you are what you eat” adage holds true, Willy Street Co-op customers have got to be some of the healthiest people around.
A Madison fixture for more than half a century, the co-op launched in 1974 when a group of local residents came together on a quest to feed their families fresh, high-quality food. From humble beginnings, the organization now boasts three buzzy and expansive stores — Willy East and Willy North in Madison and Willy West in Middleton — as well as a community space for classes, workshops and events.
With a focus on providing locally sourced organic products, a co-op differs from a traditional grocery store model in that the operation is owned and directed by a group of customers who invest in the business to meet a common need. In Willy Street Co-op’s case, the goal is to grow and support a sustainable local food system.
“Because we’re a consumer food cooperative, our customers can choose — if they’d like — to become owners and receive extra sales, discounts and perks,” said Brendon Smith, Willy Street director of marketing and communications. “However, you don’t have to be an owner to shop here. Everyone is welcome.”
Madison.com named Willy Street Co-op the Best Health Food Store in 2024, and this month they won it again, as well as “favorite” for Grocery Store.
“We’re thrilled that people have taken the time to vote for us,” Smith said. “We really appreciate that.”
To celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024, Willy Street Co-op hosted a ticketed harvest dinner at Aubergine, Willy Street Co-op’s community space, featuring ingredients from nearby farms (an event it plans to repeat this fall), and gathered some of the co-op’s founding owners for a meeting with current board members last October.
“We also offered special giveaways of frozen pizzas, bakery items, coffee, wine and other items,” Smith said. “We started a community perks program, partnering with local businesses to give co-op owners discounts and free merchandise. And for fun, we published some old ads and newsletter articles on our website.”
One of the co-op’s most significant inflection points occurred in 1999, when it relocated across Williamson Street from its original location to a larger space.
“The larger store size and the added parking capacity really allowed us to grow significantly in the span of a few short years,” Smith recalled. “When we moved into that space, we had 4,500 co-op owners and we were able to double that in a few years.”
Smith said a dedicated team of 385 staff members and 34,000 owners is the secret to the co-op’s success and longevity, which has helped grow Willy Street Co-op into one of the largest food cooperatives in the country.
“Having a group of people who really care about where their food comes from, who makes it and what’s in it — that level of interest and engagement is what’s helped us stick around all this time,” he said.
For more information, go to willystreet.coop.
