Customer Comment

Write Us!

We welcome your comments and give each one attention and serious consideration. Send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or fill out a Customer Comment form in the Owner Resources area. Each month a small selection is printed in the Reader; publication does not necessarily indicate an endorsement of views stated in a customer’s original comment. Many more comments can be found in the commons or in the binder near Customer Service. Thank you!

Mexican Avocados

Q: Please try to source avocados outside of Mexico due to the dangerous working conditions. Thank you!

A: Willy Street Co-op is committed to sourcing avocados from Equal Exchange, who work with a cooperative of small scale, family run avocado farms that are committed to practices supporting the environment, and their communities! Check out some of the articles from Equal Exchange: (links at the bottom of answer) it’s not all doom and gloom in the avocado business! Like so many things in big media, the focus is on the negative: it’s what people want to read, and what makes money. Articles like this are really informative, but if people don’t know there are alternatives, are they going to change? Are they just going to stop buying avocados? It would be nice if the NYT did some promoting of Equal Exchange and the many others that are doing great things! Like Willy Street Co-op, they are such a small percentage of the food chain, and unlike the Avocado Commission, do not have the millions and millions of dollars it takes to reach a larger audience. Oh well....We do our best regardless. You can learn more at:

Thanks for sharing, stay positive, and have a great day! -Andy Johnston, Produce Category Manager

Burritos of the Chicken Variety

Q: I am a longtime east sider, and a big fan of the chicken lunch burrito - thanks for creating them for us. Not wanting to sound fussy, but thought you might like to know: Occasionally, the foil wrapper does not cover the entire burrito.

Again, not a huge issue (and if i am such a stickler, i should probably closely. scrutinize the burrito wrapper coverage, prior to putting the delicacy in my shopping basket, right?) But i also tend to be more trusting of co-op products.

Anyhow, tonight as i was bagging my groceries, i noticed a small bit of burrito peeking out at the edge of a fold in the foil wrapper. The foil was not torn. It just seemed to be a wrapping issue. (We’re talking about an area of burrito exposure, if you will, smaller than the size of 25% of a dime. Small.)

Not wanting to be “that customer” i just wrapped the 99% foil-wrapped burrito in a copy of the Cap Times, put it in my bike pannier, and rode home. This happened to me one time before, maybe a year ago. Definitely a first world issue. Not a massive issue. I realize they are handmade with care, and then hand wrapped. All by hardworking humans. All of whom i appreciate. Again just thought you might like to know.

Thank you for being an entity i can trust, and a place i genuinely enjoy shopping! When i am working out of town, i miss the co-op, and wish every decent-size city were fortunate enough to have a co-op. Thanks!

A: Thank you so much for this important feedback. I’m so glad you enjoy the Chicken Burritos. We bring them in from Elegant Foods who make them for us right here in Madison. I know a handful of people have told me this is one of their favorite offerings in the Deli. They sell so fast at lunch time that it sometimes seems like we just turn around and they are gone.

That being said, I would like to apologize for the poor wrapping that you have been experiencing. We have two sizes of the foil that we use, and for all of the other burritos we sell the smaller size works just fine. With the Chicken Burritos however the larger size is what the cooks should be using. I’ll check in with everybody on the team and make sure we are all on the same page. Hopefully this will remedy the situation.

Thank you again for taking the time to fill out a customer comment. We really appreciate the helpful information. Gratefully, Bob Smith, Willy East Deli Manager

Burritos of the Breakfast Variety

Q: Willy Street’s own Breakfast Wraps are WAY better than the “Elegant Foods Bakery Chorizo Breakfast Burrito” that I got this morning. Much too salty, to start off with, and the taste just was not enjoyable. Bring back your own!

A: Thank you for taking the time to send us your feedback about our breakfast items in the Willy West Deli. I am pleased to let you know that we absolutely still make our house-made breakfast wraps on a regular basis! However, we have been trying out some new products in order to offer more variety. This also allows us to continue to offer you breakfast options on days when staffing levels might make our house made breakfast unachievable. We are really happy to hear your feedback about our house-made breakfast, thank you again for taking the time to provide it to us! -Renee Strobel, Willy West Deli Manager

Wrapped in Plastic

Q: Yes! You have the most wonderful looking baked goods but I never buy them because they are all wrapped in some form of plastic. I am on a mission to get plastic out of my life and I would think the Co-op would be as well. Why not have a case housing the baked goods so people could reach in with tongs and take one out and put it in a little paper sandwich bag Please consider your use of plastics and your support of the petroleum industry and our environment.

A: Thanks for reaching out about plastic use in our bakery departments. We used to have our baked goods inside of a bakery case, not wrapped in plastic. A lot changed for us at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and we had to make the switch from bakery cases at that time. The plastic does help keep the product more fresh, but we totally understand the desire for less plastic use. We’ve been discussing the possibility of switching back to bakery cases and will continue to explore the pros and cons of that option in the upcoming months. It’s certainly helpful to have feedback such as yours as we evaluate the possibility of this change. I appreciate you taking the time to write in! -Liz Muñoz, Director of Product

Washable Crayons in Bulk Aisle?

Q: I recently read a book called zero waste home. In her book the author recommended a number of novel strategies for reducing waste. Using washable crayons in the bulk section was particularly ingenious. No more sticker goo to clean up, pens or tape to consume. The Co-op would save $ by switching the bulk section over to this great hack.

A: Thank you for sharing your idea for reducing waste in the bulk aisle! In the new year, we are planning to work on initiatives to reduce waste and improve sustainability in the stores. The bulk aisle is one area we planned to address, so we will consider your suggestion as an option for improvement! We appreciate you taking the time to write to us! -Kristin Esselstrom, Willy East Store Director

No Vegan/Vegetarian Love?

Q: I was excited to see that your latest issue of the newsletter featured an article called “Eating For the Climate.” However, upon reading, was really saddened to see that there was no mention of veganism, vegetarianism, or even just reducing animal product consumption at all. Instead there was a focus on “restorative grazing.” I get it, not everyone is going to become vegan or vegetarian, but there is no doubt that the amount of animal products consumed in this country is unsustainable and has a direct link to climate change.

I read this article after reading your bit about cheeses to see that you had mentioned plant-based cheeses in that section. I thought that was awesome, as they’re a totally great addition to charcuterie boards, etc., and liked that they were included (even if the author called vegans/vegetarians “lunatics” in the same breath).

A: Thanks for sharing your concerns; I asked Andy Gricevich, the author of the “Eating for the Climate” article, to respond to your first point, and he does so below. Regarding your second point, that was admittedly a poor choice of words for the writer to use and I apologize for us printing it.

Andy writes: “Hello, and thanks for writing!

“It’s my policy to refrain from making specific dietary recommendations in my articles for the Reader—aside from a regular emphasis on eating locally and seasonally, and putting some trust in long-standing food traditions. I certainly don’t mean to dismiss vegetarianism and veganism; I spent a fair portion of my life as a near-vegan, primarily for ethical and environmental reasons. As you point out, it seems uncontroversial that our society’s high consumption of animal products is ecologically harmful, and that, in general, a plant-centered diet represents a move in the right direction. My assumption is that most of my readers, regardless of their actual choices, would agree, and that I don’t need to belabor the point.

“In my article, I chose to focus on drawing distinctions in less clear-cut areas. There’s a lot of nuance to get into. Take soybeans, which, farmed on a large scale, are pretty destructive to soil health, due to heavy tillage and minimal crop rotation. Arguably, a vegan diet based heavily on soy (and not all are) could be seen as a less beneficial way to “eat for the climate” than a diet that includes pastured meat from animals raised in a holistically-aware way. It would, however, be clearly superior to a diet that includes a lot of conventionally-farmed beef or dairy (in fact, the conventional meat industry is heavily dependent on corn and soy, the majority of which is grown for livestock, and not humans). I also tried to point out that, although organic agriculture tends to be much more “climate-friendly” than conventional vegetable and fruit farming, there are distinctions to be drawn here as well: between heavy- and low-tillage, high-density methods, or between the way perennial and annual plants function in their ecosystems, especially as regards their effects on the climate.

“My hope is that the article contributes in some way to the making of thoughtful choices about what we eat, ideally by presenting information and perspectives that might be less familiar to many readers, but which seem meaningful in regard to the issue at hand. Thanks again for your feedback!”

I’ll echo Andy’s sentiment: thank you for writing us! -Brendon Smith, Marketing & Communications Director

Stacks on Stacks

Q: Hello, I was wondering if the Double Dollars coupons are stackable or can I only use one $5 coupon at a time?

A: Thanks for reaching out and asking! Yes, you can use as many Double Dollars as you would like during your shopping trip.

For even more detailed information about how the Double Dollar program works, feel free to visit willystreet.coop/double-dollars. Have a great day! -Kristina Kuhaupt, Customer Experience Manager

Aw, Buttersticks

Q: Would it be possible to stock the Kerrygold packages that are 2 individual butter sticks? E.g., https://www.kerrygoldusa.com/products/unsalted-butter-sticks. If not, could I special-order? Thank you!

A: Thank you for your questions!! Unfortunately only select varieties of the Kerrygold are available for us to sell because of the laws the State of Wisconsin has in place. The State of Wisconsin requires that all butter has on its label a print grade by either State of Wisconsin or USDA, such as “Grade A” or “Grade AA.” Not all of the Kerrygold butters are graded as such.

I appreciate you letting us know what you are looking for in our stores! Have a wonderful week! -Dean Kallas, Grocery Category Manager

Bicycle Benefits

Q: Yes - in order to promote our Co-op values re environmental sustainability - please allow bicycle benefits 7 days a week!! This is a wonderful community incentive that directly helps protect against climate change.

A: Thanks for your question! Between our very low profit margins (we budget to make less than a penny on each dollar that customers spend) and the relatively high proportion of our customers who bike, we cannot afford to offer the incentive seven days a week at this time. We will be reviewing our Bike Benefits incentive again this winter and it’s possible that we may be able to figure out a way to broaden the incentive, but so far we haven’t been able to do so. -Brendon Smith, Marketing & Communications Director

**Picking Up the Reader in the Store**

Q: How can I reduce paper and postage costs by receiving the READER in the store, rather than by mail? I will pick it up. I do not want to receive it by email.

A: Thank you for reaching out about being removed from the paper mailing list for the Reader. I have updated your account. Have a great day! -Rosalyn Murphy, Owner Records Administrator

Note: If you are interested in helping us save money on postage, the paper version of the Reader can be picked up at any of our retail locations. You can also subscribe to our emailed version of the Reader at www.willystreet.coop/emails or by stopping by the Customer Service desk; that helps us save on printing costs as well as reducing paper usage!

Salad Bar & Hot Bar Love

Q: Hello! I eat salad bar/hot bar every day and I LOVE IT. I get a combination of salad and a hot item and it’s always delicious and affordable. Yesterday I had my usual arugula/shredded carrots and beets/peas/celery/excellent croutons along with the Sierra Madre chicken and it was amazing. I want the world to know how wonderful the food is. Thanks.

A: Thank you so much for your comment! We’re all so glad you enjoy our East Salad bar and hot bar! So many great people work hard to bring this to our shoppers, and it’s rewarding to hear from folks like yourself that it is enjoyed. Making good food is everything we’re about in the prepared foods program. Happy eating! -Nicholas OConnor, Prepared Foods & Cheese Category Manager

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