Founded in 1976 when the food co-op movement started, Belfast Community Co-op is a pioneer. The co-op was formed to provide healthy foods to all shoppers in one community space. Almost 50 years later, the co-op has survived the conglomeration of supermarkets, mergers, and buy-outs and has become Maine’s largest retail food co-op. With 4700 members in a town of about 7000 people, the food coop has become a beloved place. Maybe that’s why Belfast won the Co-op of the Month during Co-op Month, October 2024.
In 2015 the co-op was a victim of their success. Large mainstream supermarkets sold the same health foods that were unique to the Belfast Community Co-op. So the co-op board and members made some changes to promote the Cooperative Difference and source their products from small-scale producers. Then they needed to decide whether to invest more when margins were decreasing. In 2016 they hired a new General Manager, Doug Johnson, and realized the store could turn around and grow if they invested and increased their store footprint.
With leadership from longtime member and Board President, Susan Cutting, the Board of Directors voted. They decided to renovate their store. The renovation will expand Belfast Food Coop’s deli and café area, enhancing its community space.
Together with Co-op Fund of the Northeast, a frequent collaborator with LEAF, we financed the renovation in 2024. For travelers to Belfast, stop in and enjoy the welcome and a cup of fresh coffee at the Belfast Coop.
Follow the co-op’s renovation progress on their YouTube channel https://belfast.coop/news/renovation.
