ELFCO needs more business to stay open

Monday (Aug. 17) was a good day at the Eastside Lansing Food Co-op. 

A stream of customers flowed through the store during the final hour it was open, perusing the locally grown fruits and veggies at the front and the dry goods and extensive selection of bulk foods in the back. 

They lined up at the central counter so Aaron Kabodian could check them out, most armed with environmentally friendly shopping bags and exchanging friendly greetings.

“It’s been crazy today,” Kabodian said. “We’ve had about 100 sales and nearly $3,000 in business.”

A good Monday is just the beginning of what the co-op needs to stay in business, according to an email sent last week by Holly Jo Sparks, president of ELFCO’s board of directors.

Stating she wanted to be clear and honest, Sparks told supporters that ELFCO has been operating at a loss for some time.

“The Board has resolved upon a metric by which to decide, in the near future, whether or not to close the store,” she said. “If sales have not reached an average of $1,200 a day from September 1^st through 30^th, we will begin the process of shutting down the store.”

Not even a week later, following a strong Saturday and Monday, board member Rowan Price said he was optimistic. 

“We’ve been doing very well (since the letter),” Price said, though he acknowledged the September evaluation period has not yet started. “I hope that turns into more regulars. We don’t want to be in a position to have to revisit it each month.”

He cautioned that the $1,200 daily average reflects a bare minimum and not a raging success.

“I want a really robust grocery store, and I think we can get there,” he said. “Lansing wants a grocery store it can have control over, where you know the cashiers and you know the farmers.”

He said most stores lose money for about four years as they attempt to build (or rebuild) their customer base. ELFCO has been able to stay afloat with some large donations, but that hasn’t been enough. 

“Our runway has run out,” Price said, “and we just need to have a sustainable community.”

The board knows other improvements are needed, he said, including communicating with patrons and sharing financial information.

One of the biggest requests has been to bring back Saturday hours, which the store restarted last weekend. Customers are also interested in a bulk buying club for items that the store doesn’t otherwise stock. Price said ELFCO is uniquely positioned to respond to customers’ individual needs.

The initial success prompted a new email from Sparks and the board on Tuesday (Aug. 18). 

“We’ve already seen a noteworthy positive difference taking place,” Sparks said. “We’re hearing each other, and it’s making a difference. 

“Most of all, we need this support not just now that the crisis sign has been raised, but continuously.”