| Type | Consumers' Cooperative |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1974 |
| Headquarters | Madison, Wisconsin, United States |
| Industry | Retailing |
| Products | Organic food |
| Members | 20,000 |
| Website | willystreet.coop |
The Willy Street Cooperative (locally known as the Willy Street Co-op) is a food cooperative located in Madison, Wisconsin that specializes in natural, organic and locally produced foods. The co-op offers products from over 180 local farmers and vendors. The cooperative is owned by over 20,000 equity-owning members.[1]
The co-op is an economically and environmentally sustainable, cooperatively owned grocery business that serves the needs of its owners and employees. WSGC supports local and organic suppliers throughout south-central Wisconsin.[2] It operates according to seven basic principles, sometimes known as the Rochdale Principles.[3] The cooperative has assisted struggling cooperatives such as the Yahara River Grocery Cooperative in Stoughton.[4]
The Williamson Street Grocery Co-op opened in 1974 at 1101 Williamson Street, sharing the space with the workers cooperative Nature's Bakery.[5] The co-op relocated to 1014 Williamson Street in October 1974. They outgrew the space and relocated again in October 1977 to 1202 Williamson Street. A board of directors was elected from the membership in 1979. Originally managed as a collective, the staff was restructured in 1982 and a general manager was hired.[6]
Willy Street Cooperative grew over the next two decades; then, in 1998, the co-op purchased and remodeled the Eagles Club at 1221 Williamson Street.[6] After years of planning and selecting two sites that didn't work out, the cooperative opened a second store, dubbed "Willy West," in Middleton in November 2010.[7][8] The planned closure of Williamson Street for construction in 2011 has led the cooperative to plan a temporary driveway entrance on Jenifer Street for its customers.[9][10]
Scenes from the comedy series Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager were filmed on location at the Willy Street Co-op, which serves as "Empire Market," the primary location for the series.[11][12][13]