DuPage County's first food co-op is now open.
Founders of Prairie Food Co-Op in Lombard cut ribbon Wednesday to a crowd of part-owners, community officials and supporters.
Under the co-op model, shoppers can buy in and become owners for a one-time fee, which then affords them certain perks like discounts.
"A food co-op is basically a grocery store owed by the community," says co-founder Jerry Nash. "So they can access products that maybe a lot of conventional grocery stores don't have."
Nash and his wife founded Prairie Food Co-Op thirteen years ago after noticing a lack of community-owned stores in DuPage County.
"We complained about it for a few years, but then looked into what it takes to organize a food co-op, and started organizing."
PFC now boasts more than 2,500 owners.
Nash adds that while there are benefits for owners, anyone can shop at PFC.
"We want our whole community to support this endeavor because it strengthens the community. Instead of enriching one person or a group of people, it enriches the whole community."