Detroit People’s Food Co-op on Woodward Avenue seeks $155,000 in 30 days to stay open

Detroit People’s Food Co-op, the city’s first Black-led, community-owned grocery store, has started an emergency fundraising campaign to raise $155,000 within 30 days because cash-flow shortages threaten its survival.

The 15,000-square-foot store on Woodward Avenue in the North End opened in early 2024 and records $3 million in annual sales, according to the co-op. Malik Yakini, who has helped lead the project, said the store is trying to restock empty shelves and make changes meant to keep it stable.

The co-op is asking the public for help through a GoFundMe campaign and a separate appeal for small investors. Investors who contribute at least $1,000 will be repaid over several years with a negotiated interest rate, the co-op said.

Yakini said the store lost its general manager early this year and spent six months searching for a replacement. After the new manager was hired, he suffered an accident and only recently returned to work part-time, Yakini said.

The co-op also faces persistent confusion about how it operates. Yakini said some people mistakenly believe the store is a food pantry, while others think they must be members to shop there, similar to a warehouse club. In reality, anyone can walk in and buy food at no extra charge. People 21 and older can become owner-members by paying a small fee, and members may serve on committees and receive profit sharing when available.

Food inflation has added pressure. Yakini said rising costs hit independent grocers hardest because they cannot buy in bulk at the same discounted rates as national chains such as Walmart and Kroger. He said many items at the co-op are priced in line with, or below, those at other grocery stores.

The store pays employees what Yakini described as a solid wage, which adds to the challenge of balancing prices and costs.

Yakini said the co-op provides more than groceries. “Clearly it is more than a grocery store, and the value proposition is much larger in terms of community development, creating community based jobs, and creating a democratic institution that is owned by community members,” he said. “For me, those things, and I hate to use this word, trump the items that cost a few cents more at our stores.”

Most of the city’s roughly 80 grocery stores are not Black-owned or managed, leaving few opportunities for Black Detroiters to learn store management and build skills in the industry, according to reporting on the co-op’s opening.

The Detroit People’s Food Co-op describes itself as a community wealth-building operation intended to keep money circulating locally rather than sending profits to out-of-town owners. Its shelves carry organic and local foods alongside national brands.

The campaign is set to close within one month. The co-op has begun operational changes while it seeks the donations and small investments needed to keep the store open.

Supporters can donate through the co-op’s GoFundMe page or apply to invest at least $1,000 through the store’s campaign registration.