Fresh and (mostly) local: Co-op grocery store coming to downtown Lombard

A cooperatively owned grocery store is planning to open a brick-and-mortar location next year in downtown Lombard.

Prairie Food Co-op has signed a 10-year lease for a 10,000-square-foot building at 109 S. Main St. Indiana-based Holladay Properties will begin construction of the building this spring, and the store is expected to open in July 2022.

“As a cooperative business, we are literally owned by the community,” said Kathy Nash, Prairie Food Co-op board president and co-founder. “Our mission is to open a grocery store that supports local farmers and producers.”

Other than Sugar Beet Food Co-op in Oak Park and Chicago's Dill Pickle Food Co-op, Nash said food co-ops are rare for the area. Yet even without a building, Prairie Food Co-op already has nearly 1,200 owners throughout DuPage County.

Next month, Prairie Food Co-op is launching an effort to raise at least $3.1 million from the community. Nash said Prairie Food Co-op's lease requires financing to be secured by Dec. 15. An estimated $4.4 million is needed to build out the store's interior, hire employees and stock shelves.

“As a co-op, because we support local, our money is recirculated into the economy. So for every dollar that someone spends at the food co-op, an additional $1.60 is generated,” Nash said. “If we meet our first year's sale projections, Prairie Food Co-op will generate $8 million in revenue for the local economy.”

With Prairie Food Co-op, shoppers are encouraged to join in with a one-time fee of $200 in order to access certain perks and discounts. But Nash says anyone will be able to shop there.

Though not all the products will be locally sourced, Nash said Prairie Food Co-op will emphasize nearby suppliers, including farms in DuPage.

“Illinois is filled with family farms that are looking for these types of outlets and markets for their products,” Nash said.

The downtown Lombard location was key for Prairie Food Co-op. The store will be near the Metra station, the Prairie Path, and the Great Western Trail.

Prairie Food Co-op is part of a larger redevelopment along South Main Street immediately south of Parkside Avenue. Holladay Properties also plans to build an apartment complex with retail or restaurant space on the ground floor.

“Residents in north Lombard have been begging the village leadership to bring a grocery store back to downtown,” Nash said. “This is meeting a convenience need for a large portion of our north side residents.”