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Cool Co-ops in San Francisco

A cooperative, or co-op, is a business owned and run by a group of individuals (including employees and customers) for their mutual benefit. Essentially, the business is controlled equally by all. The co-op movement runs on the fuel of economic democracy and is supported by believers in equality and openness worldwide.

San Francisco happens to be home to many well-meaning, well-serving, open, and accessible co-ops. Read on to discover a few that might be hiding in your neighborhood!

Use @ to tag a business
20 comments
4
Rainbow Grocery's bulk granola section strongly resembles my idea of heaven
10
Rainbow Grocery and Arizmendi Bakery - two of my most favorite San Francisco places ever. Excellent.
5
Though Rainbow Grocery is mostly very expensive, its bulk section is actually very inexpensive, offering deals of all kinds on teas, spices, grains, cereal/granola, oil, honey, and various other bulk goodies. That's the only reason I go there, and it's more than worth the trip.
10
I'll have to agree with this. It's all about the bulk section; Rainbow can actually be money-saving if you know how to navigate it properly.
16
please teach me how to navigate it!! i went for the first time last week and was sooo lost; both directionally and lost in all the goodness!
10
It's all about what you buy from there! Like Eric mentioned, teas, spices, grains (like quinoa), oatmeal, dried fruit, nuts, nutritional yeast, nut butters - even soap and olives are cheaper when you buy in bulk (no packaging/marketing costs), and Rainbow is pretty well renowned for their bulk section. Just grab a bag, fill it up with your favorite goody, tag it, and you'll pay the listed price per weight.

Produce and packaged products are pricier, but that's because they carry mostly organic/health-food items and those things are just pricier in general overall. The cheapest organic produce I've found is at the Berkeley Bowl (the original). Other than that, you'll just have to shell out. But you know what they say...you can't put a price tag on good health.
5
I agree, just stay away from the packaged goods and you're golden. I personally don't touch their over-the-top expensive produce either, but plenty of organic-obsessives are all about it...
16
Jenna, do they make the Berkeley Bowl here? I've only seen it before at The Grove
10
Oh no, The Berkeley Bowl is a grocery store - not a co-op, but an independent neighborhood grocer. They have aisles and aisles of organic produce you usually can't find anywhere else, and endless bulk bins - best in the Bay! http://www.berkeleybowl.com/
17
Arizmendi Bakery is DELICIOUS! In my opinion, their sourdough crust is better than Cheeseboard's honey wheat, but they're both awesome.
15
Both are on point
10
I wouldn't kick either outta bed.
15
Love Rainbow Grocery and if you like Arizmendi Bakery you gotta check out the Cheeseboard in Berkeley
10
I love visiting Cheeseboard, especially when one of my friends is gigging on the piano!
10
So true! Sometimes Cheeseboard feels like the biggest party on the block.
15
that's true the Cheeseboard live music is always really cool. Once I even saw three 12-year olds playing jazz there...they were amazing...Hansen has nothing on those kids.
8
Arizmendi Bakery is amazing. The pizza is, well, perfect.
Omg! I find this article to be super awesome because I too fell in love with arizmendi through the english muffin! Its hard to find a good one, suprizingly, most bakeries don't have english muffins. It drove me crazy. Hey don't forget arizmendi is closed on mondays! Enjoy :)
15
on the weekends only Arizmendi Bakery has the best coffee cake I've ever had. I don't even like coffee or cake.
Is there a website for this Co-op?