In the Merry Month of May – We Open!

Drum roll please . . . 

Assabet Co-op Market, 10 years in the making, will be pushing hard to open before the end of May! Yep, for real. 

Since it started as a “nice idea” in a Maynard living room more than a decade ago, hundreds of people have since invested countless hours and hard-earned dollars in our not-so-little project. COVID brought new challenges and caused delays and increased costs, but that just motivated us to move into a higher gear.

Now, opening day is just weeks away! We can’t commit to an exact date yet as there are still a few things beyond our control that could impact opening day — missing refrigeration parts, unfilled positions, and still-pending permits, among others. But we are SOOOO close.

Here are a few updates and asks:

• Staffing: We have successfully filled many essential positions, but we are still looking for a couple of department managers and other staff. Please click here to see our open positions. And tell your friends and neighbors!
• Volunteering: There are several uncompleted tasks that need doing before we open. Please sign up for a shift (or more) at this link.
• Fundraising: You all have been remarkably generous. We’ve raised much of what we need for opening, but we’re still a bit short. If you or anyone you know would like to either make a loan or a tax-deductible contribution, please email campaign@assabetmarket.coop.
• Board of Directors: The votes are in! Several board members passed the baton to our newly elected members. Congrats. We continue to be guided by hard-working, thoughtful community members who are willing to give that little bit extra toward ensuring the co-op’s success.

Finally, a few shout outs. We’d like to express special thanks to three individuals.

• Siobain Mitchell — Owner #1 and newly hired Finance Manager. Siobain is the only through-line from day one to today. She has carried our institutional history, helped create every co-op document, and created the financial foundation upon which our success is built.  The co-op simply would not exist without her.
• Lorne Bell — Our first hire and current Operations Coordinator. Lorne has played a crucial role in membership development, community outreach, and fundraising. His tireless commitment to the work and eloquent expression of who and what we are have inspired confidence and grown the co-op exponentially.
• Sam McCormick — General Manager. By now, I expect you all know we hit the jackpot with Sam. Hired to “manage” a co-op, Sam drew on their experience and skills in the construction industry to get our co-op built. They are responsible for saving us hundreds of thousands of dollars — while creating a truly beautiful store. It is hard to imagine anyone but them achieving what they have.

Opening day is in sight. A heartfelt thank you to all of you. Every one of you contributed to our success. Now, it’s time to get the word out to all that our friendly neighborhood co-op (and café) will be open to the public in the coming weeks. And then we shop!

We look forward to getting to know some of you while walking down the aisles or sharing a table on the deck as we continue to support the community we all built.

David Gerratt (former board member as of today)
for the Assabet Co-op Market Board