Founded in 1970 by university students, People’s Food Cooperative in Portland, Oregon began with a simple purpose: to provide healthy foods that were not widely available in supermarkets. The co-op purchased a 100-year-old Italian grocery store and built something lasting—an institution rooted in community needs, local food systems, and democratic ownership.
Over the decades, People’s has grown alongside Portland. Today, it remains a consumer-owned cooperative where members purchase stock and participate in a workplace built on collective decision-making and democratic governance. The store is known for its commitment to fresh, minimally packaged foods: bulk items account for 25 percent of sales, and produce makes up another 24 percent.
People’s Food Co-op also provides strong local employment, with 23 full-time and 12 part-time workers. As demand for healthy, locally sourced food continues to rise, the cooperative is now preparing for its next phase of growth. Sales have increased through direct purchasing, strong pricing, and expanded deliveries. With more shoppers and greater operational needs, the co-op requires additional space to serve both customers and staff effectively.
To support long-term stability, People’s has purchased adjacent land with a house in order to secure a driveway essential for deliveries. This will strengthen existing operations, reduce labor strain, and improve financial viability.
Christopher DeAngelis, External Development Manager, emphasized the value of working with cooperative-minded lenders. LEAF and our partners such as National Cooperative Bank have provided guidance, industry expertise, and connections to other cooperatives navigating similar growth.
As People’s considers what comes next—expanded grocery services, community priorities, even housing development—the cooperative remains focused on what it has always done: meeting Portland’s needs through shared ownership, good jobs, and access to healthy food.