Going green

The Ypsilanti Food Co-op is still open for business every day despite a major renovation that will make the space more usable, enjoyable and even “greener” for customers of the popular community-owned grocery store. The nonprofit co-op, which is open to all shoppers, providing ecologically-produced foods and goods while practicing cooperative economics, is midway through an expansion that involves taking over the entire bottom floor of the store’s historic 1850’s building. With almost 5,000 square feet to work with, the co-op is expanding its bakery and deli operations, offering an enhanced eating area for customers, enlarging its dairy cooler and adding a retail space for the bakery where customers can purchase fresh baked goods and view the wood-fire brick oven where they were baked. “It really opened up the space,” says co-op general manager Corinne Sikorski. In the meantime, business is still going strong. “People are so excited about everything that’s been happening that they’re willing to wait while we get that together,” she said. You may have seen the food co-op featured in the new SolarYpsi commercials featuring a group of Ypsilanti residents bringing solar power to the community. The co-op has 12 solar panels and was the first building in Ypsilanti to install solar panels. “We’re trying to make our business better and be more green,” she said. “There’s a lot of advantages of reusing buildings, and the building we have is in a nice community that’s a walkable area.”

312 North River St., Ypsilanti. 734-483-1520. www.ypsifoodcoop.org

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