IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. — After seven years of organizing, Suncoast Market Co-Op, a community-owned health food store coming to Imperial Beach, will lose its leased space if funding goals are unmet. The chosen location resides in the Silver Strand Plaza near Palm Avenue and Rainbow Drive.
“We have minimal grocery store options, and we don’t have a lot of healthy food options. In our small four square miles of Imperial Beach, we have over 40 fast food restaurants, liquor stores, and convenience stores,” said Kim Frink, board president of Suncoast Market Co-Op, the group responsible for the farmer’s market held once a month every 3rd Saturday at Veteran’s Park.
In 2016, co-op members began mobilizing an effort to bring a healthy food grocery store to the neighborhood.
“So we’re in the future home of Suncoast Market Co-Op, so this will be the area where our front door will come in, people will be able to do their shopping, and we’re going to have some fantastic produce,” said Frink, standing next to the vacant storefront.
The co-op signed a lease for the space in October after raising $1.8 million primarily through government grants and private donations. Before they can move forward with the project, they’ll need to raise another $1.6 million by the fall.
“I believe in the power of communities to create change, you know, we can’t always rely on the public sector or corporations to meet our needs, and a food co-op comes out of the community,” said Frink.
Kris Galicia Brown started her brand Kris dry goods two years ago, selling at the farmer’s market, specializing in healthy cake mixes. She plans to have her cake mixes available at the future grocery store.
“Here I have the two most popular, which are spicy chocolate and snickerdoodle, so this is made with all-organic flour; my flour isn’t enriched at all, it’s just wheat and barley, pure cane sugar and as I mentioned, everything is minimally processed,” said Brown.
Frink projects the co-op will bring $6.5 million annually to the local economy and other benefits like health education and discounts for low-income shoppers.
“We want to support local small businesses and farms, so we’re going to be sourcing a lot more of our food from local businesses and farms across our region,” said Frink.
As for Kris, someone who’s lived in Imperial Beach for 30 years, her mission is to provide healthy food to her community.
“Eating healthy, being healthy, well-being, in general, is a lifestyle that you need to be consistent with how you live, what you put in your body,” said Galicia Brown.
To get involved with the effort to bring a health food co-op to IB, visit their website here. People can join and become member-owners by purchasing two shares for $200. Once the grocery store is up and running, members would be eligible for in-store rebates when the co-op turns a profit, although being a member would not be necessary to shop there.
Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and other city leaders will be on-site August 24 at 10:00 a.m. at 600 Palm Avenue, holding a press conference to raise awareness about the project and the funding needed to make it a reality.
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