After 35 years at its current location at 32 Bassett St., the Mifflin Street Co-Operative is considering a move to a larger space in the Metropolitan Place condominium complex on West Washington Avenue.
Members of the co-op met Sunday evening at the Madison Senior Center to discuss the implications and financial feasibility of such a move.
\We as a community need to make a decision that isn't rushed or ill-informed,"" Co-Op Marketing Manager Matt Stoner said.
The Mifflin Co-Op is a worker-run grocery offering organic produce, fair-trade products and vegan-friendly foods. At 1,000 square feet, it is currently the smallest grocery co-operative in Madison. The new development on West Washington Avenue offers 15,000 square feet of retail and grocery space.
Seth Nowak said he sees such a move, though daunting in size, as essential to the livelihood of the co-op. ""Mifflin is so small, we aren't getting any of the growth from the organic foods market in Madison,"" he said. ""We are just a footnote in the grocery scene.""
The Willy Street Co-Op, founded in 1973, is the largest co-op in Madison. The Willy Street Co-Op and others have witnessed recent financial success due to a decline in available full groceries in Madison.
Local co-op business consultant Mel Brauerman said the 500 condominiums above the store create a broad potential market for new customers.
""People living in these towers are going to demand a different product mix than what is currently offered,"" Brauerman said. ""People will find their way to your door if you offer what they need.""
Some members said they worry this new clientele will not represent the original mission statement of the co-op.
""Do we really want to create a market for the elite moving into downtown? That is not what Mifflin is about,"" one member said.
Nowak believes a move within one block of the current location could greatly expand the co-op's base, though the clientele may be different.
""Is Mifflin going to stay the same? I don't think so. But it's necessary after a certain point to recognize the changes in the demographics of the neighborhood. If we continue to put it off, there won't be a co-op to move,"" he said.
The co-op members will meet Nov. 5 to discuss funding for the move.
