Building on the work of the Fifeville Neighborhood Association’s six-month Cherry Avenue Grocery Community Engagement process in 2024, a multi-racial, multi-generational group of community members from across the City came together to form the Charlottesville Food Co-op Steering Committee in January 2025. Using the FNA values as a jumping off point, the Steering Committee focused on increasing access to fresh, nutrient-dense food, building community wealth, strengthening the local food system by prioritizing partnerships with local and regional farmers and producers, and centering the leadership of BIPOC community members.

We intend to open a small, full-service, community-owned grocery store (also known as a “food co-op”) in the 501 Cherry Avenue development, the same location as the former Estes IGA, which served the Fifeville neighborhood for decades. 

A co-op grocery is a democratically owned and operated store. Individuals or families can purchase a one-time membership share in the co-op. Although you do not need to be a member to shop at the food co-op, membership perks include voting rights, special discounts, and a share of the profits. At annual meetings, member-owners can share their views on product selection, programming, and future decision-making. However, the most important duty for an owner is to elect Board members who are responsible for guiding the financial well-being of the store on behalf of all owners.

A consumer cooperative is not owned by one person, a corporation, a nonprofit, or a government. It is owned collectively by community members who buy a one-time membership share in the business. This model of ownership flips the traditional power structure, giving community members a stake in the business. Instead of extracting wealth from the community as big box national grocery chains do, a food co-op can act as a catalyst, keeping dollars in the local economy by creating good jobs, supporting regional Black and Brown farmers, and strengthening the local food system. A cooperative business prioritizes people and the planet over profits. More than a place to buy food, Charlottesville Food Co-op will be a living, breathing manifestation of change and repair: a grassroots response to food insecurity and historic inequalities that is rooted in justice, democracy, and community organizing. The Charlottesville Food Co-op will be a space where all are welcome and community connections are nourished.