Checkout: Mountain Avenue Market supports community—and vice-versa

The late 1960s and 1970s saw an explosion of member-owned food cooperatives all across the U.S.—businesses run by the people, for the people. Yet despite their laudable commitments to equity, democracy and healthy food for all, most of these co-ops no longer exist. Save for a relative few that still thrive today, most succumbed to the very real economic pressures of running a viable food-retail business.  

Mountain Avenue Market, aka the Fort Collins Food Co-op, is among those still standing. Started as a buying club in 1972 by college students wanting to bring affordable, nutritious, locally produced food to Northern Colorado, the small shop in Old Town Fort Collins still serves that purpose 50 years later. Today, it is a full-service grocer known for its top-notch bulk department, stellar grab-and-go deli and community atmosphere.

That said, from a business standpoint, Mountain Avenue Market has faced its share of challenges, including intensifying competition from natural products chains and conventional supermarkets. With only a couple thousand square feet of retail space, the co-op can’t do the volume of the big guys, nor does it have their buying power. Those factors make staying afloat in 2024 tough for any small retailer, even a beloved community hub like Mountain Avenue Market.

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But this little co-op is not giving up. Thanks to the cooperative efforts of a dedicated staff, board of directors and cadre of member-owners, Mountain Avenue Market is working hard to build upon its strengths and streamline its business. 

We spoke with Tai Sandoval, the co-op’s deli manager, produce buyer and trusted leader, along with Jack Armstrong, a longtime member-owner and board member who’s currently volunteering in-store, to learn more about the market’s resiliency and plans to further its legacy.

Tai Sandoval, the co-op’s deli manager, produce buyer and trusted leader, along with Jack Armstrong, a longtime member-owner and board member.

What’s the quick history of Mountain Avenue Market?

Jack Armstrong: We are a community-based organization started by a bunch of friends. They got together once a month in a church basement to pick up all of the food they’d ordered the month before, mostly bulk stuff. Then there was a storefront on the west side of Fort Collins for a few years. Then the co-op moved into this building in Old Town in the late 1970s. I’ve been a member since 1983 when I moved to Fort Collins, and I am on the board of directors as treasurer.

The co-op has a long history of ups and downs. Currently, we are struggling and hoping to increase sales—and they’ve been looking up!

What’s contributing to the co-op’s current struggles?

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JA: When the co-op was started as a not-for-profit, there was no competition, nowhere else to get organic food, unless you grew it. Now there is Lucky’s, two Sprouts, a big Whole Foods and Natural Grocers nearby, so we’re competing with five other stores that have much bigger buying power than us. We’re not the cheapest joint in town to buy your food, but there are advantages.

Tai Sandoval: There are advantages! There is the resiliency of the co-op model and what we stand for. My dad was a GM here in the 1990s, so I have early memories of running around this place. Now coming back feels like a spiral or circle, like it’s where I’m supposed to be. So that’s why it’s important to tend this place and get it to a spot where it can continue.

JA: Yes, the resiliency—we’ve been here 50 years.

You both mention the co-op’s resiliency. What drives that?

TS: I feel like the co-op offers a unique experience that is so precious, especially in this day and age when everything is so commodified. You can walk in here and have a friendly experience with someone you probably know by name. Maybe you can’t get everything on your shopping list, but you can find some really awesome things.

JA: We don’t offer 20 different olive oils like other stores, but we do provide good-quality and, as much as we can, organic goods. And we provide as close to zero-waste shopping as possible. We have huge selection of dried herbs, and it provides opportunities for people of different cultures who have different cooking experiences to get the herbs they need to make the meals they love. That’s a big benefit. And many people bring in their own jars to get all their herbs, spices, grains and other bulk goods instead of using plastic bags.

TA: The bulk department is definitely a highlight of our co-op. So is our grab-and-go deli.

Let’s hear about the deli!

TS: I’ve worked really hard and tended the deli over the last three years, and I really feel like we have a strong following. Many workers in downtown Fort Collins come in and grab lunch and sometimes breakfast. We offer hot soups, hot burritos, cold sandwiches and salads, all in vegan, vegetarian and omnivore, so there’s something for everyone. The bulk and deli departments bring in the most people and the most money—and that’s definitely the direction we’re trying to move the store. We’re trying to market [these assets] and see where we can go.

So it sounds some changes are needed to move Mountain Avenue Market forward? 

TS: We need to make operational adjustments to become resilient again. The old model of being an all-encompassing grocery store isn’t working—there is too much competition, and I think that’s why we’re in a difficult financial position. I think we’d thrive more as a bulk-specific store with a grab-and-go deli. So moving forward, we definitely want to highlight what’s working—bulk and deli—and then dial in everything else so that we can be profitable. Because right now, we’re not, but I honestly believe we can be.

How are you going about making these changes?

TS: Well, we’ve been without a general manager [lately], and before that, we just haven’t had steady leadership. So Jack is really stepping up and volunteering his precious time to help us out in this chaotic turn.

JA: It’s becoming less chaotic! The staff has really stepped up. I am retired and have some business experience, so I’m just stepping in here to provide …

TS: Focused leadership. You’re the liaison between the board and staff. We definitely need that. We need open communication.

JA: We’ve recently had a couple combination board and staff meetings, which we hadn’t had before. Traditionally, we’ve had a hierarchical structure: member owners, then the board of directors, which the member owners elect, then management and then staff. Right now we are more of a horizontal structure because we don’t have a GM and aren’t in a focused effort to get a GM. Instead, we—the staff and board of directions together—are focusing our energy on making Mountain Avenue Market a thriving little business. It’s a good place to shop and a good investment because it directly supports the community.

Wow, that’s the definition of a cooperative effort!

JA: We have a good board of directors and a great staff of 12.

TS: Yeah, the staff we have right now are super solid, even those who haven’t been here that long. Speaking as a staff member, I love to come to work because I get to make healthy food for my community, so I really feel like I am contributing. I value my job here on so many levels. Also, the co-op is such a safe space to be who you want to be. It has allowed me to express myself in all of the ways that are super important to me. That’s why I believe in trying to make this work. I have a lot of hope.

Are member-owners involved in the revitalization too?

JA: There have been tough times before, and member-owners have always stepped up. Shopping here is a big part of it. And recently, they’ve helped us cover our property taxes, which have gone up a lot in Colorado. We haven’t had the means to bank money, so members have stepped up with member loans, with a reasonable rate of return. It has allowed us to pay the property taxes and use the cash flow coming in to keep goods on the shelves that people want to buy.

Final thoughts on what makes Mountain Avenue Market so special?

JA: I think the community aspect of it. We all live here. It’s not corporate owned. It’s a community hub where you can come hang with your friends and know where your money goes and what it supports. Any money we make stays here in Fort Collins. It goes right back into this store and to the workers.

TS: The co-op is a resiliency model that I believe in so strongly. It’s an alternative model to what’s dominating our society and ruining the Earth, honestly. It’s so necessary to have the alternative and one that is community based, one that is for the people. We have to do everything we can to save these ecosystems.

Mountain Avenue Market
250 E. Mountain Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80524
970.484.7448
mountainavenuemarket.com