August 11, 2021

Today we found out Nicollet County’s level of community transmission of Covid-19 has been elevated to “Substantial.” Since the onset of the pandemic, the St. Peter Food Co-op has and always will follow the guidelines of the CDC, MDH, and Nicollet County Public Health. Therefore, beginning Friday, August 13, all Co-op staff will be wearing masks. We encourage customers to do the same. We will have masks available for customers free of charge. Thank you for your respect, trust, and understanding as we prioritize keeping the St. Peter Food Co-op the safest place possible to shop and work.

Erik Larson
General Manager

June 2, 2021

Greetings from the Co-op. It’s June, and we’ve been on quite the ride here at the store for the past 14 plus months. Looking back, it’s hard to fathom how many changes we’ve made so quickly and over such a short amount of time. Since March of 2020, we have tried to make decisions and changes that were best for the customers, owners, and staff of the St. Peter Food Co-op, with safety as the number one priority. Along the way we received an overwhelming amount of kind words and encouragement from so many of you that truly kept us all going. Many people reached out to me personally to say the Co-op was the place they felt safest. Thank you. I can also acknowledge that these decisions alienated some people, too. We’ve lost a few friends over the last year, and that’s never fun. Through it all, I am happy with the way our customers, owners, and staff came together to make quick adjustments and a few sacrifices to continue to provide the safest possible place to shop and work.

A few weeks ago, when the statewide mask mandate was lifted, we immediately relaxed our mask policy for customers. We then sent out a survey to the whole staff to gauge everyone’s level of comfort and offer everyone an opportunity to share their thoughts. Many staff members replied that whatever was best for the customers would be okay with them. The way this staff prioritizes the customer experience, especially after the year we’ve all had, is impressive beyond words.

So, after gathering as much input as possible, here’s where we’ve landed: Masks are optional for vaccinated customers and staff. We’ve also reopened the seating area! Dozens of people asked every day when that would happen, and the time has come. When we put it all back together and gave it a deep clean, it was a little like taking a time machine to the “before times” again. I hope those of you who have waited so patiently to enjoy it will join us again soon. See you at the Co-op!

Erik Larson
General Manager

November 9, 2020

Here are some reminders to help make shopping and working at the Co-op as safe as possible for all:

• Wear a mask. This is non-negotiable at the Co-op. Be sure it’s snug and covering your nose and chin.
• If you are unable to wear a mask or choose not to, our curbside grocery pickup service is available.
• Stay home if you’re sick, even if it’s just a cold. Use our curbside grocery pickup service or have a friend or relative do your shopping for you.
• Maintain at least 6-feet of physical distance from others while inside the Co-op.
• Consider shopping during less busy times (7-9 am or 7-9 pm).
• Try to limit your trips by buying a week’s worth of food at a time, but please leave some for the next person. We haven’t seen supply chain interruptions like we did last spring, but availability of some items remains somewhat unpredictable.
• Consider limiting shopping to one household member at a time to reduce risk.

July 29, 2020

Greetings from the Co-op! It’s a little hard to believe July is almost over. Did you try the Michigan blueberries? Wow! It’s so nice to be able to rely on an annual favorite like Michigan blueberries for a little familiar stability in life amidst all the uncertainty. We’ve done everything we can over the last few months to ensure that the Co-op is able to safely sell you all of your favorite food and products with as little inconvenience as possible. You may have noticed a few changes around the store over the last couple of weeks. Here is the rundown:

• People are now allowed to bring outside bags and containers into the store. We have re-installed some bulk gravity bins, and we’re selling bulk water and coffee again. We have self-serve hot coffee available, but we do ask that you only use the disposable cups provided, and take a new cup for a refill if applicable. If you bring in your own reusable shopping bags, we also request that you bag your own groceries.
• We are still not taking egg cartons or glass milk bottles. As soon as our distributor begins taking glass milk bottles from us again, we will take them from you too.
• Both our indoor and outdoor seating areas remain closed.
• We’re following the Executive Order requiring Minnesotans to wear a face covering. We have disposable face coverings available while supplies last at the front-end if you forgot one or don’t have one.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out with feedback and encouragement over the last few months. The support you’ve all shown for the staff is so appreciated. As always, please feel free to contact me at any time by emailing [email protected] or calling me at the store at 507-934-4880.

Erik Larson
General Manager

May 14, 2020

Here at the St. Peter Food Co-op, we continue to closely monitor the pandemic situation on a daily basis. Our priorities have not shifted over the last few weeks. The top priority remains the safety of our customers and staff.

Masks have become a pretty hot topic lately. We’ve been requiring staff to wear masks for a few weeks now, and we’re very grateful to those of you who have donated them. We’re still accepting donations. We’re now encouraging customers to wear a face covering as well. We have new posters at the entrance to the store as a reminder. If you don’t have a mask, we do have some available at no cost (while supplies last). Just ask a cashier or another employee and we’ll happily get one for you.

Here are more of our current safe shopping tips:

• Stay home if you’re sick.
• Have a friend or relative do your shopping for you, or consider our curbside grocery pickup service by visiting https://stpeterfood.coop/curbside/
• Shop alone, at a less busy time. One member per household helps us maintain a safe, six-foot distance between people in the store at all times. We’re usually busiest on Fridays and Saturdays. We also have reserved the first hour of each day (8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.) for more vulnerable people. An afternoon or evening mid-week might be a good time to pick up a week’s worth of groceries. Using a list will ensure you’re in and out in a timely fashion with everything you need.
• Please use the disposable gloves available at the entrance and/or the hand sanitizer placed throughout the store.
• Please only touch what you intend to purchase.
• Do not touch your face covering while shopping, and maintain a six-foot distance between yourself and other customers and staff.
• When you get home, wash your hands after putting groceries away. Always wash fruit and vegetables before you eat them.

We continue to analyze our systems and protocols constantly in order to maintain safety for the customers and staff of the St. Peter Food Co-op. I invite you at any time to call the store or email me at [email protected] to discuss any of the changes we’ve implemented, or anything at all. Thank you for your continued trust, support, and feedback.

Erik Larson
General Manager

April 22, 2020

We’re still trucking along here at the St. Peter Food Co-op, providing good food for the people of St. Peter and southern Minnesota. The support and gratitude from customers and owners for our amazing staff has been pouring in. Every staff person continues to amaze me on a daily basis. That support is the fuel that keeps us all going right now.

We’re in a unique situation in that individual safety measures are for the benefit of the group. This isn’t just a two-dimensional issue where those taking precautions will be safe, and those taking fewer precautions are at risk. Our community will only fare as well as the sum of our cumulative efforts. We have to cooperate. At the St. Peter Food Co-op, we’re proud to be leaders in those efforts.

Here are some updates on what we’re doing to continue to make the co-op a safe place to shop and work.

• If you’re sick, stay home (even if it’s just a cold). Have a friend or relative shop for you, or consider our curbside pickup service.
• All staff are wearing masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. You should too. Many generous people donated masks for our staff. We’re incredibly thankful for those contributions. We are still taking mask donations at this time. We’d like to have enough for each staff member to have a few.
• We continue to analyze and update our strenuous cleaning and sanitizing procedures throughout the store. Cleanest carts in southern Minnesota!
• Do not bring anything from home into the store, including reusable shopping bags or refillable containers.
• Maintain a distance of 6 feet between yourself and staff or other customers. We haven’t had to implement metered shopping yet, but we will if the need arises.
• Use the hand sanitizer that we have in dispensers throughout the store. We also provide gloves for customer use in our entry. As you shop, please only touch items you intend to purchase.
• Use electronic payment methods instead of cash.
• When you get home, wash your hands thoroughly after putting away your groceries.

In the past few weeks, we’ve made drastic changes to the entire store. Every change we’ve made has been in order to protect the safety of the staff, customers, and entire community. Some of them aren’t easy. All of them were carefully considered. We have many stakeholders with diverse values to consider any time we implement a change, including the 70 employees and over 3,000 owners. If you would like to discuss any of the changes we’ve made, please reach out to me directly by calling the store at 507-934-4880, or send me an email at [email protected] Thank you for your continued trust and support. Take care, and wash your hands.

Erik Larson
General Manager
St. Peter Food Co-op

Guidelines for Online Ordering & Curbside Pick-up:

• Online orders can be placed any time (click here).
• Any online orders received after 11:00 a.m. will be processed the next business day.
• You’ll need to keep your phone close by. We’ll call you sometime between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to get payment info.
• Come to the store between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. to pick up your order. When you arrive, call the store at 507-934-4880, pop your trunk, and we’ll place your groceries in your vehicle.
• For additional guidelines, see our March 24 update below.

March 24, 2020

In order to continue to serve the changing needs of our community, we’re launching a curbside grocery pickup service on Tuesday March 24^th for those who prefer not to come in to our store to shop. Normally a service like this would take months to develop, and we spent less than a week developing this one, so it’s not too bright and shiny, but we think it will get the job done for those who need it. Here is how it works:

• Curbside pickup will be available Monday through Friday for now.
• Complete our curbside pickup form online. Online orders can be placed any time. Any online orders received after 11:00 a.m. will be processed the next business day.
• If you’re unable to fill out the online form, you can place your order by phone. Phone orders must be placed between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. by calling the store at 507-934-4880. The caller can just say they would like to place an order for curbside pickup, and the call will be directed to the curbside coordinator.
• Please use as much detail as possible when placing your order with information such as brand, size, flavor, etc. and list possible substitutes where applicable.
• You’ll need to keep your phone close by. We’ll call you sometime between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to get payment info.
• Come to the store between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. to pick up your order. When you arrive, call the store at 507-934-4880, pop your trunk, and we’ll place your groceries in your vehicle.
• There is a $5 service charge for each order.
• There is a maximum order of 40 products and 4 items of each product. Other exceptions may apply.
• We will do our best to fill each order as accurately and completely as possible. There may be some items that are out of stock. We continue to work with our distributors to minimize this. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we roll out this new service. Any feedback is always welcome. It will only help us get better.