Community Food Co-op, Bozeman
| Address: | 908 W Main St, Bozeman, MT 59715, USA |
| Phone: | +1 406-587-4039 |
| Site: | bozo.coop |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 7:30AM–10PM 7:30AM–10PM 7:30AM–10PM 7:30AM–10PM 7:30AM–10PM 7:30AM–10PM 8AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
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Jenna Aukerman
Ive shopped at the co-op for years (first as a non-member during vacations to Bozeman and then as a member when my husband and I moved here). I have found the quality and variety of local/organic/natural produce, groceries and products to be awesome. Be advised, they dont stock carry exactly the same produce every single day (as produce supply and seasonality varies), but I love that they focus on local products as much as possible. Also, they have a really cool cafe upstairs with a good view of the Bridgers if you want to grab a coffee/lunch there. While they arent the cheapest game in town, I think that their product quality, variety, sustainability, and vision are definitely worth supporting. Also, they are always bringing in local producers & farmers to sample their products and engage with customers...way cool As a side note, I read one reviewer who had a poor experience with the service, but I have never personally experienced any pretension (even when it was just the late evening "chip and beer" run). Ive always had great service and everyone has been really helpful and knowledgeable. So dont worry if you dont feel as hippie/food-savvy as the staff. Theyre really nice (especially the meat/fish guys - always great help!) Just ask! A few tips: 1) Bring bags if you have any, you get a 10 cent discount for each! 2) If you dont have your own bags, theres a place to grab re-usable boxes. Lots of folks do this, so just ask the cashier if you cant see them. 3) Check out their sales flyers, they always have some good deals. And usually the aisle ends have all the sale items. 4) They have a killer bulk section. You can bring your own containers of they have bags you can label there. (And theres usually an employee hanging nearby, so ask questions if youve got them! 5) Their beer selection isnt the cheapest, but they usually have a few bomber bottles of things you cant get elsewhere. And I think you can request special orders if you can buy by the case. So, if you love good food, definitely swing by!
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A Private User
Not only does the Co-op have a good selection of healthy foods and alternatives to help any one with any kind of allergy to any food, they also are one of the best places to eat a meal in town! Also, they have many vegetarian and vegan options both in the grocery store and for their dinners. Every night they have a new different dinner that is always a treat to eat from, and if that doesn’t appeal to you, the salad bar is superb and the soups are fantastic! They also make sandwiches. They too are great, but you do have to wait a wile to get it. If you’re on the run there is a real food to go case that you can pick something up that’s just as good. If your there for a wile there are places to sit both upstairs and outside. Upstairs there is an excellent coffee bar that sells fare trade coffee and many more scrumptious drinks and treats. The best thing is that not only is everything there good, it is also all local or organic! The people at the Co-op are friendly too, I felt like I was walking into a home when I came in. Every one is in the present and friendly. Another plus is that they are only closed on Christmas. The down points are that it is hard to find a place to park and if you don’t shop wisely you could leave with an empty wallet. However, if you put your mind to it you can get a good meal for $3! what a steal! Overall, huge thumbs up!
EM
Email Email
Ridiculously overpriced and limited selection. Employees not especially friendly. As an example, I have sat at the coffee bar area off and on for years and not once has an employee said hello to me. It seems to have changed in the last year or two and not for the better. The co-op acts like they have a monopoly on healthy groceries but someday (soon hopefully) an amazing store like Good Foods in Missoula will roll into Bozeman and the co-op will be but a memory in the minds of many people. The salad bar is often out of items and its not always clean. The food bar prices are ridiculous and have you noticed how they have a lot of "heavy" foods? Tough to get away from there for a reasonable price. Really, the co op has become a place for those with a lot of money - its not for the rest of us. The ones who have been here since the original co op. If you study there late at night, the honor system coffee is long gone (thats sad) and the newspapers are thrown in the garbage around 8pm so for the next 2 hours thou shalt not read the newspaper. And why is the co-op not recycling newspapers?
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Glenn Watt
Pretentious employees and customers. I like some of the offerings, but unless you are a member and buy into the board of directors annual tropical vacations (see picture board upstairs near bathroom) the pricing is expensive. There is definitely a feeling of better than thou food habits and being a beer drinking, meat and MGO consuming customer makes me feel unwelcome. Coming from the front range in CO this place was a massive let down to even the worst of the health/organic food stores there. All that said, I still visit sometimes, especially their downtown cafeteria as it offers one of the healthiest lunches you can get (although again you pay for it).
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Ryan Coleman
Lots of the products are needlessly overpriced. For example, San Pelegrino sparking waters are neither organic or local (owned by a huge international company) -- but the co-op charges 3x the price of other places for them. The same is true of many other products they carry. I believe theyre part of a large national group of co-ops -- so its not what I had hoped for -- a true local group of agricultural producers working to get local food out to local consumers. The pricing is a shame, since most local people who work for a living cannot afford the prices they charge with the prevailing wage here in Bozeman.
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A Private User
I used to like co-op. Now I notice that everything is overpriced, also for some reason co-op thinks its ok to sell rotten produce. I know grocery stores miss a few now and then, but co-ops produce is remarkably moldy like no one bothers to check. They dont seem to care if they sell you old stuff either. I, on multiple occasions, have looked at the made by date on their homemade pizza dough because it was a weird gray color, and it has been about 5-6 days old? What? When their dough is made fresh looks like normal dough, not like someones dropped ink in it. Co-op do you care?
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Clare Cawthon
The best place to get a variety of bulk items and a pretty good selection of local produce, bread, and local and regional meats. Its small, but a great place to shop. I really dont go anywhere else for groceries in Bozeman. They have a great salad bar and hot bar as well as a good deli for a quick sandwich. Large space upstairs to get coffee and sit and eat lunch is also a plus. It can be pricey, but thats just what it is if youre trying to buy local and organic in Bozeman. Shop seasonally (as you should anyway) and it wont be as bad.
