by Anya Firszt, General Manager
October is Co-op Month!
Willy Street Co-op is celebrating National Co-op Month along with hundreds of co-ops across the country. Thank you for choosing to be an Owner of Willy Street Co-op—we are now over 35,000 Owners strong! Whether you choose to buy all or just some of your groceries at Willy Street Co-op, you help to support the cooperative business model as well as strengthen the local economy. Please take a moment to think about the amazingly successful cooperative business you have helped to create.
This month our Co-op is celebrating its 44th year in business. For over four decades we have sourced local goods and services, provided hundreds of jobs, and supported community development. Thank you for being an Owner! One way we choose to celebrate is by hosting Owner Appreciation Week. Please plan to come into any of our retails the week of October 22-28 for specials and samples galore to celebrate you, our Owners!
Willy West Expansion Update
Another thing to celebrate this month is the anticipated completion of the expansion work at Willy West! I for one can’t wait for the finishing touches to be done. Our staff have done an absolutely phenomenal job planning for the new space; if you have not shopped at Willy West in the last few weeks or months, you are in for a real treat. The grand reopening of Willy West is scheduled for October 27-28. Please make a point to check out our newly expanded retail space.
Important Reminder
Willy West will be closed Monday, October 1 and Tuesday, October 2. This closure will allow staff and contractors to polish the newly poured concrete floors, relocate packaged grocery and wellness aisles, and buildout and put the last coat of paint on at least one new wall or soffit.
Check out the latest expansion updates here: www.willystreet.coop/willy-west-expansion and any grand reopening announcements. Thank you all for making this exciting new space a reality!
Water Water Everywhere Update
As reported in the September Reader, record breaking rainfall in August presented us with some of our own work-related challenges at Willy West and Willy North, and at our administrative offices. We recovered at the retails with minimal product loss, which is wonderful news to report. The only remaining inconvenience at this point is that Main Street remains closed at the Yahara River
bridge, which means our drivers turn left out of the production facility driveway instead of right, and staff use the parking lot on the north side of the building instead of the south side. I feel our flooding issues are minor in comparison to others - thank you all for your generous contributions to our flood relief collection program at the registers!
Face-to-face Time with the GM
October 21 from 12:00-2:00pm at Willy East. You can also reach me by calling me at my direct line: 608-237-1210 or emailing me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (link sends e-mail). And, this month I will also be at Willy West to celebrate the grand reopening on October 28 if you want to talk with me in person!
Finance Committee vacancy update
The Willy Street Co-op Board has appointed Jessica Taylor to fill the vacant owner seat on the Willy Street Co-op Finance Committee. Thank you to those Owners who expressed interest in volunteering to serve on the committee and taking time to submit an application for review and consideration.
Retail operating hours—mark your calendar
•Willy West will be CLOSED: Monday, October 1 and Tuesday, October 2
•Thanksgiving Day, November 21: stores are open 7:30am-2:30pm.
We truly appreciate our Co-op Owners—thank you for your patronage. We wouldn’t be here without you!
