There are things to like about Bayview, politics and religion aside.  There is probably no cooler location for a store than Bayviews.  To be honest I have not known about the religous and polical bent of the owners. I have enjoyed the customer mix at the Bayview.  They do have some interesting products. But the location is just incredible.  I mostly just go to the Bayview these days for a cup of coffee and head over to the boardwalk.  I can't remember the last time I actually purchased anything from the actual store.

I love the Coop. Olympia is blessed to have two locations, I still can't believe we have two and Tacoma has none.  Can't say a negative thing about the Coop.  Not sure I'd want to change it all that much.  I sure don't want it become like PCC or the Wholefoods Market.  I know there are things they can fix, but there isn't much that is broken.  What I would wish would be for the Coop to be downtown.  I know that is probably not in the cards, but more than anything I think the Coop should be downtown.  I think the energy the coop provides for me is sorely needed by downtown.  A downtown coop would draw many customers away from the Bayview, though I still might pop into the 'goats for a cup of coffee and and wander on the boardwalk.

"I would make it impossible for the covetous and avaricious to utterly impoverish the poor. The rich can take care of themselves."
^@^

...but no one knows who I am, so here goes.  I shop at Ralph's when I have to buy groceries on credit.  You can't do that at the Co-op.  I know, I know, credit card companies are evil, and expensive.  But sometimes, I don't have any cash.  Ralph's caters to my desperation better than the Co-op does. Praise Jebus. 

The Co-op is growing tremendously as it has been. the current issue of their newsletter has a growth survey to help determine when and how future expansion will/should occur.

...heard coop people talk in public about the need for a downtown site. Does anyone except me remember when there was a coop downtown?

We use the coop primarily, but have stopped at Ralph's and Bayview because of selection and convenience.  I was not familiar with their politics.  We generally vote with our wallet and spend at local businesses that support the local progressive community.  So, if not Bayview and Ralphs, what is the local market that pays staff well, is at least neutral on politics?  

Wonder when Trader Jo will come to town?  We stopped in there a few weeks ago when staying with friend in Seattle, I liked the selection and smaller sizing, but over-packaged. I hope Trader Jo's is progressive and not just trendy.

The Olympia Food Co-op has been kicking around the idea of a downtown site--I've heard rumors of everything from a fullsize grocery to a little deli bodega. Perhaps we also need to look at other needs that are unmet downtown, or undermet, like a standalone 'goats, a pharmacy, a place to do mail, etc. Anyone who is interested in helping to write up a proposal to the Co-op, you are welcome to join us for the Urban Layers Project planning meeting today (Wed) at 3:30 at Media Island, or email urbanlayers@riseup.net. I have a draft proposal already, and welcome any additions or tweaks that folks want to contribute.

ok, the coop is great. I've been walking into the east side one quite a bit lately. The problem is, it doesn't have the "mainstream" things that a normal grocery store has. Being healthy is great, but sometimes I want crap food. I want my Doritoes with a can of that nasty nacho cheese to make nachos, I want a case of diet coke so I can get my caffeine and splenda fill ( I don't buy the aspartame kind anymore ) I want a bag of peanut butter M and M's. Anyone else feeling me? I actually have missed Ralph's but gas is too much and one of the bigger grocery stores is within walking distance.

Mmmm... industrial waste... As someone who regularly craves food that I wouldn't share a cab with, I concur. That's what Safeway and the little kwik-e-marts are for. Selection, anonymity and convenience. It is a little pricey, but I understand they have to pay extra to ship biohazard stuff. ^@^

I'm not sure of anyone else but one of the reasons I shop Ralphs is it's the only grocery store (I'm not familiar with the co-op) that doesn't have blaring music over head insterspersed with screaming commercials.  I have been aware of their politics for some time, and have considered writing them.  It's obvious where the owners come from when you walk in the door and turn the corner; on the left wall is a "family inspiration" book section which is only stocked with christianism books.  So if your family is of any other spiritual tradition, don't expect to find inspiration at Ralph's.  But more than any other reason to shop at Ralph's I really enjoy the people who work there.  Overall they are far friendlier than any other grocery store workers in town that I've been to.

There are quite a few bodegas around Olympia and most of them seem to be local concerns.  We have two right in downtown Olympia, the one across from he Transit Center, the other across from B&B.  Frankly I liked the B&B when it was right next to the bodega and it seemed to me that it was the start of an interesting commercial grouping.  The businesses were complimentary to each other.  The two shared a customer base.  You can still walk across he street, to be sure, to get a pack of cigarettes if you are camped out in front of the B&B, but it doesn't seem to be the same as when the shops were side by side.

I like the fact that most of the bodegas are locally owned.  That certainly is one feature of a good business.  We all know, however, that local ownership is not enough.  All too often the local bodegas take on the same policies and sales practices of the other bogegas so that one is pretty much the same as another.  A bodega in Olympia will pretty much be like one in Tacoma or Centralia.   Carrying American Spirit cigarettes is not enough of a concession to the downtown community.

The corner store, bodega, convenience store, quickie mart, or what ever, has always been a feature of a thriving  neighborhood.  In only one instance, while living in the northwest, have I seen a bodega done right.  That would be the one in Tacoma next to the Winthrop apartments downtown.  What makes that bodega particulary special is that they have tables and chairs inside for the customers to hang around, schmooze, meet their friends, drink coffee, and simply just be somewhere where they are wanted.  Most of the customers live in the Wintrop, a Section 8 apartment building, with mostly disabled tenants.  I always enjoy stopping there and even in the early morning there will be a number of people alredy there holding court with their friends.

I really like posts like this that get me to thinkings.  The genesis of this post was in the posts about Ralphs and planB.  But it got us all thinking and where we are is far different than where we started.

And yes, I too like a good Cheeze Doodle and Devil Dog every now and then.

"I would make it impossible for the covetous and avaricious to utterly impoverish the poor. The rich can take care of themselves."
^@^

Whenever I happen to stop at Thriftway (usually because I'm near one or it's on my travel path), I'm always reminded at how much higher their prices are . . . I guess now knowing their religious bent is another reason not to shop there . . . and I also understand that the prices are probably higher than at Slaveway because of the size of their business compared to the purchasing power of a larger outfit like Slaveway, QFC and Albertson's.

Another thing I haven't heard mentioned is their "Community Rebate Cards".  If you're a non-profit, you can apply for this program and then get people who support your non-profit to carry these cards of your group and when they give it to the cashier at either Thriftway, they give a percentage of your purchase to that non-profit.  That's pretty cool - regardless of the other issues.

I can't really afford to shop at Ralph's so I don't go often.  I did get ice cream there once and walked around the marina, it really is a nice location.  They have a pretty produce section too.

I think some cool bodegas downtown would be great, I'm very drawn to places like that.  That + an all night diner are on my Olympia wishlist.

wow this thread got long.

it takes me 4 minutes to get there on my bicycle.  I really like the checkers; for the most part they are exceptionally friendly and thoughtful.  the meat and produce are very good, and inexpensive for the quality.  when I was taking the bus everyday, I could grab something for lunch or a coffee before I caught my bus.  honestly, I have yuppie-ish tastes, and it fits me well that way. :)

can I be honest?  I've tried shopping at the coop a couple of times, and mostly it just annoys me.  it's crowded, confusing, and doesn't have much of a selection.

ralphs reminds me of when I lived in the north end of Tacoma in college and just after and did a lot of my shopping at the queen anne thriftway & stadium thriftway.  I liked those stores!

when we bought our house, I didn't know Olympia at all, really, and I was excited to be so close to a grocery store after a couple of years in Lakewood, where it was impossible to get groceries without driving.

which is part of what makes me so incredibly upset about this.  (not just the plan b, but the overall tenor of the stormans and how they operate)  it takes something that was really positive and meaningful about my day-to-day life, and turns it into something I hate.