Co-op

I’ve learned a few things about Whole Foods. Apparently their cramped and idiosyncratic little store in Mid-City is very much a thing of the past. Apparently their newer stores are all big box WalMart-like monstrosities. I’ve never set foot in one, but I’ve heard stories.

And I just got this via e-mail:

Hello. As many of you know, Whole Foods on Esplanade is closing in April. In response, people in the Mid-City area and the larger New Orleans area are banding together to open a cooperative grocery store. To make this happen we will need a united community effort. Please be a part of this exciting opportunity!! The New Orleans Food Co-op is hosting two upcoming events. On Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at 625 North Rendon there will be a community potluck. On Saturday Jan. 29 upstairs at Fairgrinds Coffeehouse (3133 Ponce De Leon) from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. there will be an important planning meeting and gathering. A cooperative grocery store will serve our community, because it will be owned by our community.

Wow. That would be so much cooler than Whole Foods. Knee-jerk reaction: It seems too good (and too quick) to be true. I hope I’m wrong. I would love to buy my food at a co-operative grocery. I hope this takes off, and I hope it’s a real co-op and not a fake one.