VIDEO: Concord Food Co-Op Grand Re-Opening

The Concord Food Co-op celebrated its grand re-opening on Sept. 14, with a ribbon cutting and has an expanded weekend of activities to ring in the new digs.

The Co-op, which has been under re-construction for a number of months, has a completely redesigned building, façade, cooking area, and more items than ever before.

At-Large City Councilor Dan St. Hilaire called the renovations “amazing” and hoped that it would be a launching pad for more business and upkeep coming to the western side of South Main Street.

“It’s not only a great looking building,” he said, “but the products inside are wonderful and are really going to be helpful to the Concord area, making sure we transform our lives as you have this building.”

Nancy Girard, the president of the Co-op’s board of directors, stressed that the building was not just the Co-op’s building but was “the member’s building” and the group wanted to be an important part of the community.

Paula Harris, the general manager of the Co-op, thanked the members who put up the money for the building and said the board, the members, and customers “had come a long way together.” Harris noted that residents did not have to be a member to shop at the store.

"We need all your support to keep going," she said.

This weekend, the Co-op is celebrating the grand re-opening with a bunch of events. Here's a schedule of what's happening on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 

Friday, Sept. 14

4 p.m. Catering to Your Needs - Our Award Winning Café & Catering: The Celery Stick Café is one of the best-kept secrets in Concord. The Hot Bar offers the fastest, healthiest, most diverse - yet still affordable - lunch options on Main Street. Our Chefs cater events large and small, and the award-winning food is superb. Come get a glimpse of the choices available at the Co-op and try a sampling of their most popular items. Ask our Chefs your most pressing questions!

4 p.m. Member Appreciation Weekend Discounts Begin!

5 p.m. Unwind in Our Wine Department: Enjoy an assortment of wines while you learn the variety of options available at the Co-op.

Saturday, Sept. 15

9 a.m. Facets of the Concord Food Co-op: Get a high-level review of the various departments in the Co-op and the events, programs and partnerships that make the Concord Co-op a unique business in our community.

10 a.m. Explore and Maintain Health: Did you know that the Co-op provides free and low-cost, award-winning wellness classes to the community through partnerships with area experts? Our Health & Wellness Coordinator Audrey will give you the lowdown on these classes so you don't miss a beat!

11 a.m. Bulk Up: Save money and packaging while trying new foods in our Bulk Department. Learn about the surprising things you can find in bulk and how to turn them into tasty dishes. Try a sampling of our favorite bulk items.

12 p.m. Go Veg: Vegan or vegetarian? No problem! The Co-op has a wide selection of animal-free products for you to enjoy in the Café and throughout the store. Come try a sampling of products. Even if you're not vegetarian, you'll want to try some of these tasty treats.

1 p.m. The Sweet Stuff: Come listen to our award-winning Pastry Chefs explain how and what they do to create sweet works of art for anytime of the day, for any occasion. Samples will be provided.

2 p.m. Smart Chicken Demonstration & Sampling: Come see how good real chicken can taste! Our new certified organic Smart Chicken is humanely raised, free of chemicals, and is amazingly delicious.

3 p.m. Sustainable Meat & Seafood: Come learn about the many positive aspects of a new generation of seafood, meat, and poultry products including local, free-range, grass-fed meats and sustainably caught and raised seafood. Samples will be provided.

4 p.m. Catering to Your Needs: See above

5 p.m. Unwind in Our Wine Department: See above

Sunday, Sept. 16

9 a.m. Facets of the Concord Food Co-op: See above

10 a.m. Fresh Starts - Granola & Yogurt Sampling: Try out several of the delicious all-natural granola and yogurt options available at the Co-op.

11 a.m. Go Veg: See details above

Noon Explore and Maintain Health: See above

1 p.m. The Sweet Stuff: See above

2 p.m. Sustainable Meat & Seafood: See above

3 p.m. Unwind in Our Wine Department: See above