This year, Kent Natural Foods Co-op celebrates it’s fiftieth birthday. We’ve grown from an informal buyers club into a thriving retail grocery that’s owned by more than 2,500 member-owners. You are the We in Co-op. Thank you for all your support!
The Kent Natural Foods Co-op began in 1971 as a buying club, operating out of the Unitarian Universalist Church on Gougler. The co-op grew and moved into a storefront in the Franklin Hotel. After a savage fire, the store moved several times, landing at 151 East Main Street in an old jewelry store.
In 1992, the store transitioned from worker ownership to the current member-owned governance. Starting with just 50 members in 1992, the store grew to more than 2,500 members in 2020. In 2017, the co-op purchased the current location, and began an expansion and renovation project, resulting in the store you see today. Thank you for all your support over the years!
HISTORY & GOVERNANCEThe Kent Natural Foods Co-op began in 1971 as a buying club, operating out of the Unitarian Universalist Church on Gougler. The co-op grew and moved into a storefront in the Franklin Hotel. After a savage fire, the store moved several times, landing at 151 East Main Street in an old jewelry store.
In 1992, the store transitioned from worker ownership to the current member-owned governance. Starting with just 50 members in 1992, the store grew to more than 2,500 members in 2020. In 2017, the co-op purchased the current location, and began an expansion and renovation project, resulting in the store you see today. Thank you for all your support over the years!