Local community members gathered on Wednesday, Oct. 16 to celebrate the opening of the Keweenaw Co+op Market and Deli’s new storefront. The celebrations began with a large crowd of co-op owners participating in a ceremonial walk from the Ethel Avenue location to the new storefront on Quincy Street in downtown Hancock. Many owners reminisced on their past with the co-op, some even remembering its original days in 1973 as a pre-order bulk-buying club out of the backroom of Funky’s Karma Cafe in downtown Houghton.
At 12 p.m., the ribbon-cutting ceremony began with several members of the co-op board of directors addressing the community. Keweenaw Co+op Board President Rebecca Matuszak explained that the event was not only to celebrate the new location but also to honor the over 50-year history of the co-op and the community it has created.
The ribbon was cut by General Manager Curt Webb, who led the relocation efforts until experiencing a health scare last month. Webb said, “I’m grateful to be here today to help usher in the co-op’s next 50 years. The things I really want to convey today are our gratitude and excitement, and I’m grateful for everything that has brought us to this day.”
The new storefront provides an expanded parking lot, a larger kitchen, double the inventory space, and a new community seating area. Matuszak explained that the board is most excited about the increased accessibility, “Our old location was inaccessible to a lot of people. A lot of people didn’t know where it was and we didn’t have a lot of handicap accessibility. This is a much more open space in a more visible area.”
There are still some features to look forward to as the co-op finalizes its move. “Our bike racks are still to come, there’s a rain garden over here that we’re working on, an EV charger is in process,” said Webb. “Our liquor license has been in some red tape, but hopefully we have that in a couple of days.”
The co-op is continuing to offer the student discount at the new location: five percent off on Sundays. Additionally, Keweenaw Co+Op invites the community to a larger grand opening event on Nov. 9 after it has settled into its new location.
