Summer Highlights
John Tashiro, General Manager
With summer in full flow, it is wonderful to see everyone getting outside and taking advantage of the warm weather in all its glory. Like many, I was caught rather unexpectedly in some rain showers, and even a few thunderstorms, where all I could do was laugh at my soggy and drenched self. I often have a hard time deciding what to cook or grill for dinner during this hot weather so as not to overheat an already hot kitchen. If you have this same dilemma, remember to check out the many recipes on our website and consider trying something new (or take a class to learn a new technique)!
On a drier note, things remain busier than ever at the Co-op and we reached our 11,000th Member milestone just last month (it feels like we just had our 10,000 Member celebration with Ben & Jerry’s a few months ago!). It is fantastic to see the Co-op’s ownership doubling in just five years. We are fortunate to have such committed, loyal and passionate Members who continue to inspire, encourage and support us. And I am personally grateful for the many words of encouragement from our Members since I started.
Since the announcement of our South End expansion plans on June 30th, we have been laying the initial groundwork to review environmental assessments, start zoning discussions and plan for permitting. We update the information on the South End page of our website regularly, especially the FAQs portion, as we listen to community members’ questions and as the project moves forward. We have about 6 to 12 months of due diligence ahead of us and assuming that all works out, we’re planning for a June 2017 opening.
While we don’t have our final (and more detailed) project timeline ready quite yet, there will be opportunities for our employees and community members to offer feedback and suggestions sometime next spring. We want our South End location to reflect our Cooperative values, meet our Members needs and be a vital part of the South End community. To assist us with our expansion plans, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve hired Pat Burns, our former General Manager, as our Expansion Project Manager. Pat’s years of Co-op experience, his prior work experience and his many community connections will serve us all well in his new role.
I look forward to meeting with many more of you this month and hope to hear your thoughts as we shape the future of City Market. As always, thank you for your support, your patronage and your Membership!