I haven't even asked him about this, but what about joining forces with John at "Oh Happy Days"? he is getting old, has managed that business as a community based enterprise for years, and I think he would be in complete sympathy with the idea.
He is in a building where I believe a couple of spaces will soon be open, and the expansion would be logical, plus the Co-op would have an already built in loyal customer base. he even has some contacts for food suppliers and such.
Yes, that's a good idea. I've been in contact with John almost from the beginning of our co-op effort. He's been receptive to the idea of a co-op and has offered to help, but has not taken me up on a number of invitations to attend our working meetings.
The thing is, we're planning a bigger undertaking than that building could probably handle. Yes there are a few other storefronts next to his but they're at different levels, which could make shopping cart navigation difficult. Plus, even if they were all to become available would they add up to the 6,000 square feet we're aiming for? That doesn't look likely.
The other issue is parking. The rule of thumb for grocery stores is to have seven or eight parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of retail area. There is some parking behind the building but the number doesn't seem to be enough. Street parking is limited and not appealing for a grocery store.
I'm a regular at John's store and think he's done a good service to our area with his efforts. I'd like to have him involved in our co-op effort in some way. We'll see. Thanks for bringing this up!