After 16 years of dedicated efforts, the Wasatch Food Co-op is inching closer to making its dream of opening a customer-owned grocery store along the Wasatch Front a reality.
Stephanie Buranek, the chair of the co-op’s board, announced that the organization is now seeking around $2 million in funding to complete the venture.
With more than 1,200 individuals already signed up as member-owners, each contributing a $300 lifetime membership, enthusiasm for the co-op is palpable.
The co-op aims to reach a target of 1,500 member-owners by the time the store opens its doors at 422 E. 900 South.
Buranek highlighted fundraising as the major challenge the co-op has faced thus far.
According to industry norms, new grocery stores typically require a capital investment ranging from $3 million to $3.5 million to become operational.
Presently, the Wasatch Food Co-op has successfully raised approximately $1.2 million, which means that nearly $2 million more is needed before they can officially open.
To bridge this funding gap, the co-op’s organizers are actively pursuing a variety of funding sources, including grants, private family foundations, loan programs, and tax-deductible public donations.
Additionally, they are offering member-owners the opportunity to purchase preferred shares in the co-op.
Buranek expressed confidence in the fundraising efforts, stating that with success, the store could open by the end of the year.
However, should funding goals not be met, the opening would have to be postponed.
The proposed Wasatch Food Co-op is not just another grocery store; it aims to be a full-service establishment emphasizing locally sourced products, while also offering items that are challenging to find in Utah.
This strategy will enable the co-op to effectively compete with conventional grocery stores in the area.
Buranek also noted the significance of the co-op’s location in a neighborhood that has been classified as underserved in terms of grocery options.
“The nearest grocery store to our site is about a mile in almost every direction, sometimes several,” Buranek explained, emphasizing the community’s need for accessible grocery shopping.
The building designated to house the co-op was originally established as the O.P. Skaggs Market, as revealed by developer Kathia Dang and her husband, Sam Sleiman.
This site has undergone various transformations over the decades, previously functioning as Sudbury’s Foodtown, Super Save Discount Market in the 1960s, and later as Southeast Market.
Dang reminisced about her experiences visiting Tay Do Market—an earlier Asian grocery store that occupied the space during her childhood.
Having immigrated from Vietnam in 1975, she recalls shopping there for special pastries during Tet, the Vietnamese new year, and renting DVDs from the bakery that had been dubbed in Vietnamese, which were cherished by her family.
Purchasing the building in 2017 was a strategic decision for Dang and her husband; they were determined to preserve the space’s historical significance and prevent demolition.
“We didn’t want someone to come and knock it down… We really wanted to ensure that something good remains here,” she said.
Demolition work on the building commenced in fall 2023, followed by the groundbreaking for the Milk Block project in January 2024.
This intentional community development, named in honor of Harvey Milk, aims to create a vibrant space on 900 South.
The Milk Block is expected to launch this summer, with several businesses already committed to establishing a presence there, including Xiao Bao Bao, an artisan pizza restaurant called Mozz, Native Flower Company, a florist, and Simple Modern Therapy, a couples’ therapy practice.
Additionally, Equality Utah, a prominent LGBTQ civil-rights organization, will be relocating its headquarters to the Milk Block, marking a significant step for community engagement and support.
image source from：https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/food/2025/06/02/utahs-first-grocery-co-op-closer/
