Customer Data
Our world is awash in data. We feed it constantly through our phones, our credit cards, our online presence, and many of our everyday actions. That data is processed in a ballooning list of data centers, consuming massive amounts of our resources to analyze and spew out a nearly endless stream of offers, opinions, and infomercials, all extremely well configured to influence our thinking, our habits, our purchasing, and even our voting. Willy Street Coop is a refreshing refuge from this onslaught and it has a remarkably effective checkout system, but that system with its efficient collection of member numbers and their purchases has the potential to contribute to this process. Does someone know that I also buy potato chips and cookies every time I buy kale and kombucha? Bottom line: How is our purchasing information used and how is it safeguarded from access by less benevolent players?
Thanks for your question! We take customer data security seriously because we know our Owners expect that we would. I can confirm that we don’t rent or sell customer information to any organization. In the few cases where we do share customer data (such as for Board election voting or mailing notices or coupons), the organization we work with must sign a non-disclosure agreement guaranteeing that they won’t use the information we share for any purposes other than those for which we’re engaging their services. These organizations must either fully delete it after use or take precautions to safeguard it if it must be kept for some reason. Willy Street Co-op customer purchase data is stored on physical servers located on-premises at one or more of our facilities. We secure personal data from unauthorized staff use by limiting access only to staff who need it to complete approved work. Non-employees should have no access except in limited situations where Willy Street Co-op contracts outside services to complete work. Aggregated, non-personalized purchase data is shared with one of our top product vendors per our fulfillment agreement. -Brendon Smith, Marketing & Communications Director and Forrest Herschelman, Director of IT
Sauerkraut
Do you carry raw sauerkraut as described below? “To find unpasteurized sauerkraut, look in the refrigerated section, not the shelf-stable aisle, and check labels for keywords like “raw,” “unpasteurized,” “live cultures,” or “naturally fermented,” and ingredients listing only cabbage, salt, and spices (no vinegar or preservatives). Cloudy brine is also a good sign of live cultures, indicating it’s a living, raw product.“
We do offer a variety of refrigerated sauerkrauts that are fermented without the use of vinegar. Unfortunately, it’s not clear on all of the labels if some of the sauerkrauts have undergone pasteurization. I did a little research to find out what information is listed online for the brands that are currently available at our location. I will share below what I was able to find.
Bubbies Sauerkraut
Bubbies sauerkraut is not fully pasteurized like shelf-stable versions but undergoes a flash-heating process for stability, meaning it’s heated to reduce gas-producing bacteria without killing all beneficial cultures, so it’s not truly “raw” but still contains live probiotics, unlike heat-treated or vinegar-based options. Look for refrigerated Bubbies products, as these have had minimal heating and retain more live cultures, making them a good balance between taste, crunch, and probiotic content, though they aren’t as potent as fully raw kraut.
Spirit Creek Farms Sauerkraut All our vegetables come from certified organic growers in northern Minnesota. We never pasteurize our products, ensuring they stay rich in natural probiotics. We use only certified organic spices and solar-evaporated sea salt from Northern California. Every bite is packed with healthy, nutrient-rich, organic goodness!
Fizzeology Sauerkraut Fizzeology sauerkraut is raw and unpasteurized, using traditional fermentation methods in barrels with salt and cabbage, never heated, to preserve beneficial enzymes and live probiotics, making it a classic raw fermented food. This process results in naturally fizzy products, indicating the live cultures are active, according to Fizzeology Foods and general fermentation practices.
Wildbrine Our unpasteurized sauerkraut is raw, completely vegan, gluten-free, and traditionally fermented to provide you with the essential probiotics your tummy needs. -Dave Andrews, Willy West Grocery Manager
Alternative Flours & Tea
Hello Lovely Co-op Folks! My family and I shop at the West location several days per/week. We try to follow a mostly gluten free diet and love your hot bar and baked goods; however, many of the soups and various items are made with wheat flour. I’ve often wondered if it all of your recipes could be made with alternative flours, i.e., chickpea, brown rice, fava bean, so that they are inherently gluten and nut free for folks following specific diets or with allergies? I imagine that changing up tried and true recipes would be potentially time-consuming or most expensive, but it’s something that has crossed my mind many times, so I thought I would inquire. I have one additional question, will the West location ever offer tea at the coffee station again? As a tea drinker, it was so nice when you had options besides coffee in the morning. I assume space is an issue, but perhaps you could start by just offering a few options and see if it takes off? Other than that, thank you for the great work! We love knowing we can trust that your produce, meat, and dairy is fresh and that your shelf-stable items have been vetted for the best quality. We also love “The Reader” and enjoy searching for the most unusual letters to the editor over dinner.
Thanks for writing in. I went through and looked at the soups that have noodles or require a roux, and it looks like we have four that contain flour: minestrone, chicken noodle soup, cheesy broccoli, beer cheese. We can certainly look at it, but I’m wondering if maybe we need to rotate in some other soups if you’re only seeing the Cheesy Broccoli and Beer Cheese. I’ll chat with the West Prepared Foods Manager and see if we can mix it up a bit. As for tea, space is definitely an issue in our coffee area! But that said I will keep it on my radar as I look at the space! -Nicholas Oconnor, Prepared Foods & Cheese Category Manager & Kitchen Director
Blue Cheese Dressing
Firstly, thank you for all that you do for the community and customers. I hesitate to complain because of all of the excellent work you do! But here goes: I am disappointed that Willy St West seems to only carry one type of Blue Cheese Dessing: Briannas (and I looked it up, yes Briannas doesn’t include an apostrophe in their name. I guess the dressing doesn’t belong to Brianna, it is indeed named Briannas. Red flag!). This salad dressing is… upsetting. It is cloyingly sweet, oddly gloppy, irritatingly unctuous and only vaguely blue-cheesy. The blue cheese flavor is mild, as if Briannas bottled the experience of sitting across from someone enjoying blue cheese. Truthfully, Ken’s Steak House Chunky blue cheese dressing is superior. KENS!? Of course, I will be finishing the bottle of Briannas that I purchased because I hate wasting food (this is pathological), but it will make me slightly sad. 🙁 Please, if you can, stock a second blue cheese dressing at Willy St. West. Thank you so much! Also – I want to shout out the Willy St West cheese department – they are true aficionados and stock the best cheeses! I always see a wonderful selection. Perhaps this is why the Briannas is so disappointing… it will never compare the complexity of Hook’s Blue Paradise or Saint Agur Blue. Anyways, thanks for reading my diatribe. Have a lovely rest of your day!
I appreciate your feedback on the blue cheese dressing we carry at Willy West. I am sorry Briannas is not meeting your standards. I will ask our Grocery Manager about carrying another one. Thanks for your recommendation of the Ken’s Steak House Chunky blue cheese dressing! We will see if it is available to us through any of our distributors. Thank you for your positive feedback for the West cheese department! -Dean Kallas, Grocery Category Manager
May Day
May 1. No shopping day. Does the Coop have a plan?
Thanks for your email—we do have a plan! We know that many Co-op Owners and customers will choose to honor the Voces de la Frontera request to join in the May Day March and avoid shopping that day, and we support them in making their voices heard. We have chosen to remain open to serve as a community resource and gathering place. If we lack sufficient staff due to their participation in the March, we may need to reduce some services or close one or more stores and/or our Production Kitchen for the full day or part of the day As you may have already seen, we’re collecting donations for Voces de la Frontera at our registers through the end of next week, and matching donations up to $10,000. We’re also offering a free sign-making event at Aubergine for people headed to the March. And, we are sponsoring an event at Atwod Music Hall on May 1, benefiting VOCES de la Frontera. Anya Firszt, General Manager
Editor’s Note: You helped us raise over $34,000 for Voces de la Frontera at the registers. Thank you!
Source for Meat
I am inquiring about the source of chickens for the Co-op. I’m wondering whether you are purchasing from Perdue Farms. If not, what is the source for chickens and red meat?
We purchase fresh chicken from two purveyors, Bell & Evans and Green Circle. Neither of these brands are owned by Perdue. We have quite a few different sources of beef, including Grass Run Farms, Thousand Hills, Wisconsin Meadows, and Cates Family Farm. -Nick Heitman, Meat, Seafood, Beer, Wine & Spirits Category Manager
Chicken Sausage
What flavors of chicken sausage in casings or brats does the meat department make in-house, and can you tell me what the ingredients are?
We offer several different house-made chicken sausages and selection varies slightly per location. A couple Co-op favorites: Chicken Italian Sausage (ground chicken, salt, sugar, black pepper, fennel, paprika, crushed red pepper, cayenne) and Spinach Feta Chicken Brat (ground chicken, salt, sage, white pepper, caraway, marjoram, feta, spinach). These sausages are encased using a hog casing. -Nick Heitman, Meat, Seafood, Beer, Wine & Spirits Category Manager
