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player ready...In the past year or so, Judy Klem has been able to count on being asked one question anywhere she goes in Oak Park: “When are you guys opening?”
The masses have been anxious to learn more about the Sugar Beet Co-op’s grocery store, now preparing for a spring opening at 812 W. Madison St. in Oak Park.
“People want to shop here,” Klem said Friday morning during Sugar Beet’s “groundbreaking” celebration. “They’re just ready to have this as an option.”
Klem, a Sugar Beet Co-op board member who handles marketing, said the event, which drew about 30 people, was a way to celebrate the co-op reaching its fundraising goal and herald the beginning of the grocery store build-out, expected to take eight to 10 weeks.
“I think today is really all about the kick-off to construction,” she said. “Just kind of bring everybody together to say, ‘This is finally happening, let’s go!'”
Sugar Beet announced earlier this month it had raised $1.8 million from a combination of member loans, traditional loans and a village grant.
Board President Tom Hollinden said they received 71 loans, the average size of which was $9,000. In total, $840,000 was raised from members, which was critical to secure traditional loans and Tax Increment Financing money from the village of Oak Park.
The co-op, which now has almost 1,000 members, signed a lease about a year ago for the 6,300 square-foot space on Madison Street. Plans for the space include a coffee and beverage bar, a demo area to show customers how to cook with certain items, a deli with prepared sandwiches and a bulk products area.
Once building permits are approved — which architect and board member Brian Hammersley said Friday they hope to be within the next week — the buildout can officially begin.
“We’re really stepping into a really nice house,” Hammersley told the group Friday.
The building, originally designed by 20th century architect Albert Kahn, was renovated by McShane Construction Company — also the general contractor for the Sugar Beet project — to become a mixed-use building, including the ground-floor retail space and 51 residential units.
The store’s general manager, Chris Roland, has been working to make connections with local farms and producers with the goal of selling their goods at the co-op. Warrenville’s Two Brothers Brewing Company, known for its craft beer, also offers coffee, which was served at Friday’s event.
Roland said they plan to sell the company’s beer and coffee in the store.
“We’ve got an amazing list of people already,” he said, also mentioning bakery/café Sauce and Bread Kitchen in Chicago.
Although Sugar Beet hasn’t yet put out a call for job applicants, Roland said he’s already gotten multiple emails from those interested in working for the store. He said they’ll look to hire 25 to 35 staffers and will begin the process soon.
“The people who know about it are passionate about it,” Roland said of the co-op.
Cheryl Muñoz, Sugar Beet founder and project lead, mentioned co-ops taking shape in Elgin, Lombard, Chicago and other locations, and Roland said they’re proud to be part of the locally sourced, community-minded movement.
Hollinden said he couldn’t think of another retail example where customers made an investment and showed this level of excitement over a store’s opening.
Member Lynda Jo Shlaes said she worked at a co-op in the 1980s in Maine, “and I’ve been waiting for that experience ever since,” she said, adding, “it’s the way shopping should be.”
Member Ana Garcia Doyle said the co-op, important on so many levels, has been needed and welcome in the community for some time.
“I can’t believe we lived without one in Oak Park for so long,” she said.
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Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.