People’s Food Co-Op
519 1st Avenue SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507-289-9061
Hours:
8 a.m. — 9 p.m. Daily
The Good Food Store was founded in 1975 by a core group of organizers who had met in the Rochester Public Library. The first location was on Third Avenue and was mainly a bulk foods store that was built with member investments and the proceeds of numerous bake and rummage sales. The organization faced a major test when a flood wiped out the store and its entire inventory on July 4, 1978. But with tenacity that would serve them well in the years to come, they rebuilt the store with labor and commitment of their members.
The co-op officially incorporated in 1983. Annual sales remained under $500,000 until the year 2000. In 2003 the co-op passed the $1 million mark for the first time, but by 2005 sales had receded. In 2007, the co-op began to grow under new leadership at an invigorated rate crossing the $2 million mark by 2007, achieving close to $3 million in 2009 and surpassing $4 million in 2011.