Detroit’s only Black-run grocery co-op opens, welcomes throngs of shoppers

Detroit People’s Food Co-Op , a Black-run, full-scale grocery store, has arrived on Woodward Avenue in Detroit’s North End.

The store opened its doors for the first time Wednesday, welcoming hundreds of eager shoppers in just the first hour.

The idea behind the ambitious undertaking, which took years of preparation, was to expand food access to a predominantly Black city that has notoriously lacked quality grocery options. And since the store is a co-op, anyone can own a piece of it by becoming a member.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were more than 2,740 members.

“This is not something you’re invited to. It’s literally yours,” says Lanay Gilbert-Williams, president of the co-op’s board of directors. “There is no rich person in the shadows. People can’t imagine such a heaven where all types of people have come together to do a thing and take ownership of a thing. It belongs to the entire community.”

The store’s shelves and fridges are stocked full of fresh, locally grown produce, herbs, spices, condiments, meat, dairy products, vegan options, bakery items, canned and packaged goods, snacks, beverages, and health and wellness products — virtually anything you’d find in a grocery chain like Kroger or Meijer. There were also prepared foods, a variety of samples, a deli, and a coffee bar.

The co-op, spearheaded by the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network , features fruit and vegetables from four Black-owned farms, and many of the products are made in Michigan.

Levi Johnson Jr., a beaming, local entrepreneur with dreadlocks cascading out of his colorful, brimmed hat, was handing out samples of his barbecue sauce, called Mr. Levi’s MyTFine Soul Sauce , which comes in three flavors — mild, spicy, and “Habanero XS.”

“If my face ain’t on the bottle, no soul is inside,” Johnson tells Metro Times .

Johnson sells his products in more than 62 Meijers and 32 other metro Detroit grocers, but this one is special, he says.

“It’s revolutionary,” Johnson says of the co-op. “The time has come, not just for the Blacks, but for the people.”

Until recently, Detroit had been without a Black-owned grocery store for about a decade. Nearly 70% of Detroiters are considered “food insecure,” meaning they lack reliable access to food, according to a 2022 report from the Detroit Food Policy Council .

If all goes as planned, the grocery store is just the beginning of building self-reliance and justice in Detroit, a city that has long battled with racial and economic inequality. Co-op members are empowered to vote in board elections, share future profits, and be elected to committees, which could be tasked with fighting for affordable housing or disability rights.

“This is just the first day,” Gilbert-Williams says. “We’re all a family. We’re breaking bread together. Food brings everybody together. We have not had a Black-led, community-owned grocery store in Detroit. What is that going to look like? It’s going to be interesting.”

Although members have to be at least 21 years old, the co-op is aiming to get young people involved to experience what Black leadership and cooperation look like.

“The young people are going to take this over from us,” Gilbert -Williams, a mother of six children between the ages of seven and 28, says. “These young people are bold, and they’re fearless. They are loving, and they will not tolerate all this madness and division that has been going on for centuries. Let’s bring them on board now.”

Memberships cost $200 for a lifetime , which can be paid in a lump sum or spread out over 10 monthly installments.

The co-op is located at 8324 Woodward Ave.