Jan. 16, 2025

It turns out that a $5 dinner is a pretty strong draw to bring people into a business.

The Sioux Falls Food Co+op has seen “a great uptick” in its Wednesday night offering, which changes weekly and is available from 4 to 7 p.m. while supplies last.

This week, it was fried rice with a vegetable egg roll.

Last week, it was barbecued chicken hindquarters with coleslaw.

Future dinners this month will feature chili with cornbread and a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw.

“And it’s open to everybody in the community. You’re putting good food in your body for yourself and your family,” said Becky Squyer, who became director of marketing and community outreach last year.

“People can take it to go or sit in our dining room, and there’s always a vegetarian or vegan option. It’s about creating that community, that space for people.”

Like most specialty grocers, the Sioux Falls Food Co+op fights a perception battle: It’s more expensive and less accessible, the thinking can go, even though Squyer is quick to point out plenty of examples to the contrary.

“A main goal of mine is propelling the store forward in a way we can all understand we are open and available to everyone,” she said.

This year, the store at 410 W. 18th St. is opening up new ways for members to join and benefit. While anyone can shop at the Co+op, owners receive extra benefits.

In return for a $200 ownership stake — payable at once or at a rate of $40 per year until fully vested — owners now receive specific monthly promotions. In January, it was 20 percent off produce.

They also receive a 1 percent rebate annually on their purchases in the form of store credit, have the opportunity to serve on the board of directors and receive 20 percent off special or bulk orders.

“You have stock in ownership in an establishment, and that’s pretty cool,” Squyer said. “You own your community grocery stores.”

There are about 2,400 active owners who have made a purchase in the past year, but the store does more sales to those who aren’t owners. A recently launched program aims to open up ownership to those who might feel it’s financially restrictive.

The LINC program allows shoppers living on a limited income to become members at no cost. Eligibility includes those who receive SNAP benefits, WIC assistance or free school lunch, as well as those who declare they’re on limited incomes.

Applications are available in the store and online here.

“It’s meant to be an inclusive program,” Squyer said. “There are so many ways we believe a person would qualify. The Co+op is not requesting any sort of proof of income, so it’s minimally invasive for the sake of privacy.”

The program has been a passion project for general manager Patrick Sayler for a long time, she added.

“The LINC program is our way of offering a food access program to folks that can’t afford that investment,” she said. “At the moment, it is based off donations, so all the ownership dues are funded by donation.”

LINC was the beneficiary multiple times last year during the Co+op’s monthly Big Change program, which allows shoppers to donate to designated nonprofits by rounding up their purchases.

Since the Co+op expanded in 2021, business has trended up, Squyer said.

“Which is great, just to know we have a very supportive community — a community that is starting to understand what a co-op is, specifically,” she said.

Shoppers watching their budgets will find additional ways to save in the store, she added.

Private-label products offer staples that are comparable to other retailers, Squyer said. A biweekly couponing system rotates other products on sale, and fresh deals focus on produce, meat and cheese weekly.

A new offering called Little Weirdos offers $5 grab bags of blemished fresh fruits and vegetables, offering savings to shoppers and supporting sustainable practices.

Multiple trucks deliver inventory weekly, in addition to ongoing deliveries from local purveyors.

This year, the deli’s hot bar will be converted to a self-serve approach, allowing for an expanded grab-and-go section. Most menu items will remain, and there will be rotating features.

Shoppers who occasionally find things out of stock likely are looking for something not in season, Squyer said.

“We are a specialty grocery store that finds value in providing items from local purveyors and keeping things seasonally fresh,” she said. “It’s a priority of ours to stay in season so it’s good.”