Officials, Lenders, Community Activists Cheer Opening of Cooperative Grocery Store
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AMBLER, PA, Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 — Weavers Way Ambler was officially opened Friday with a gala ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Co-op store, attended by local officials, lenders, the Weavers Way Board of Directors and dozens of staff and delighted Ambler and Ambler-area residents.
“I think perhaps to the casual passerby, this might look like the official dedication of a grocery store,” said Weavers Way General Manager Jon Roesser in his opening remarks. “But the truth is that this is the official dedication of the manifestation of so much hard work in cooperative economics."
“The members of the Ambler Food Co-op, which is now part of Weavers Way, really do represent the cooperative model at its finest,” he said. “These are neighbors who identified a common need and pooled their resources to meet that need. Rather than wait for some out-of-town chain to come along and give them a grocery store, they said, 'Our town needs a grocery store. Let’s make it happen ourselves’. And that’s what they did, and that’s what we have.”
Roesser thanked the lenders who helped fund the $4.3 million project — PNC Bank, The Reinvestment Fund, Ambler Savings Bank, the Montgomery County Development Corporation, and especially the more than 300 Weavers Way members who provided the single largest source of financing with a $1.5 million in member loans.
Chris Hill, president of the Weavers Way Board, also lauded the people of Ambler for their ability to coalesce around a community need and fulfill it. Referring to the grassroots fundraising efforts that led to the restoration of the Ambler Theatre in 2007, he said, “I feel like Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill, the other community partners in this enterprise, have a lot to learn from you guys."
Hill teamed up with Ambler Store Manager Kathryn Worley to sever the giant red ribbon with a pair of prop scissors. On hand as honored guests and official witnesses were state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, all three Montgomery County commissioners — Joe Gale, Valerie Arkoosh and Ken Lawrence — Ambler Mayor Jeanne Sorg, members of the Ambler Borough Council and former Ambler Food Co-op President Kathleen Casey.
Worley said she was pleased with the support the store has received from the community.
“We’ve had people come in, and they’re crying, because they’re so excited that the store finally opened,” she said. “We’ve already made lots of new friends, and I’m just so happy to be here.”
Lawrence, vice chair of the board of commissioners, lives in Plymouth Township, but plans to visit the store regularly. “I think this is fantastic for Ambler and the residents of Ambler, but also for Montgomery County,” he said. “I know this is desperately needed here, so I’m glad the county could be a part of making this happen.”
Bernadette Dougherty, an Ambler resident and former Ambler Food Co-op outreach coordinator, took note of the effort that made the new location a reality. “You know that expression, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’? Well, this took a village and a half,” she said. “The folks from Ambler Food Co-op and the people from Weavers Way formed such a wonderful village, and got this beautiful store opened. And when people come in today and they start to clap, you know we did a good job.”
The store, Weavers Way’s third, opened for business Oct. 11 in a former Bottom Dollar store at 217 E. Butler Ave. in the borough of Ambler. Renovations, managed by Delaware County builder W.S. Cumby, began in early May. The member-owned Weavers Way stores are open to all and offer a range of high-quality products, with an emphasis on local, sustainable and organic; the Ambler location features a café area, an expanded prepared-foods kitchen, a full-service meat and seafood department, and an extensive selection of bulk foods, pet supplies, wellness, health and cruelty-free beauty products.
Officials, Lenders, Community Activists Cheer Opening of Cooperative Grocery Store
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AMBLER, PA, Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 — Weavers Way Ambler was officially opened Friday with a gala ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Co-op store, attended by local officials, lenders, the Weavers Way Board of Directors and dozens of staff and delighted Ambler and Ambler-area residents.
“I think perhaps to the casual passerby, this might look like the official dedication of a grocery store,” said Weavers Way General Manager Jon Roesser in his opening remarks. “But the truth is that this is the official dedication of the manifestation of so much hard work in cooperative economics."
“The members of the Ambler Food Co-op, which is now part of Weavers Way, really do represent the cooperative model at its finest,” he said. “These are neighbors who identified a common need and pooled their resources to meet that need. Rather than wait for some out-of-town chain to come along and give them a grocery store, they said, 'Our town needs a grocery store. Let’s make it happen ourselves’. And that’s what they did, and that’s what we have.”
Roesser thanked the lenders who helped fund the $4.3 million project — PNC Bank, The Reinvestment Fund, Ambler Savings Bank, the Montgomery County Development Corporation, and especially the more than 300 Weavers Way members who provided the single largest source of financing with a $1.5 million in member loans.
Chris Hill, president of the Weavers Way Board, also lauded the people of Ambler for their ability to coalesce around a community need and fulfill it. Referring to the grassroots fundraising efforts that led to the restoration of the Ambler Theatre in 2007, he said, “I feel like Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill, the other community partners in this enterprise, have a lot to learn from you guys."
Hill teamed up with Ambler Store Manager Kathryn Worley to sever the giant red ribbon with a pair of prop scissors. On hand as honored guests and official witnesses were state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, all three Montgomery County commissioners — Joe Gale, Valerie Arkoosh and Ken Lawrence — Ambler Mayor Jeanne Sorg, members of the Ambler Borough Council and former Ambler Food Co-op President Kathleen Casey.
Worley said she was pleased with the support the store has received from the community.
“We’ve had people come in, and they’re crying, because they’re so excited that the store finally opened,” she said. “We’ve already made lots of new friends, and I’m just so happy to be here.”
Lawrence, vice chair of the board of commissioners, lives in Plymouth Township, but plans to visit the store regularly. “I think this is fantastic for Ambler and the residents of Ambler, but also for Montgomery County,” he said. “I know this is desperately needed here, so I’m glad the county could be a part of making this happen.”
Bernadette Dougherty, an Ambler resident and former Ambler Food Co-op outreach coordinator, took note of the effort that made the new location a reality. “You know that expression, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’? Well, this took a village and a half,” she said. “The folks from Ambler Food Co-op and the people from Weavers Way formed such a wonderful village, and got this beautiful store opened. And when people come in today and they start to clap, you know we did a good job.”
The store, Weavers Way’s third, opened for business Oct. 11 in a former Bottom Dollar store at 217 E. Butler Ave. in the borough of Ambler. Renovations, managed by Delaware County builder W.S. Cumby, began in early May. The member-owned Weavers Way stores are open to all and offer a range of high-quality products, with an emphasis on local, sustainable and organic; the Ambler location features a café area, an expanded prepared-foods kitchen, a full-service meat and seafood department, and an extensive selection of bulk foods, pet supplies, wellness, health and cruelty-free beauty products.
Ribbon-Cutting and Grand Opening Celebration Set for Oct. 27-29
Ambler, PA, Oct. 17, 2017 — Just days after a "soft" opening to work out the kinks, Weavers Way is preparing to pull out the stops Oct 27-29 for the "official" opening of its newest grocery store.
Weavers Way Ambler is the consumer cooperative's third location. The new store stocks the same healthful, local, sustainable, organic and fairly traded produce, bakery, dairy and groceries as its sister stores in Northwest Philadelphia, in a spacious, modern facility newly renovated by the Co-op at a cost of $4.3 million.
The new store features an expanded prepared-foods kitchen and a sit-down cafe to go with it; a full-service meat and seafood department; a wall of holistic and organic pet foods and products; a massive bulk-grocery section; and an extensive selection of health and wellness and cruelty-free beauty supplies.
"With this great store and great staff, we're looking forward to converting all of Montgomery County into Co-op shoppers," said Weavers Way General Manager John Roesser. "Seriously. . . we're really excited to be here, and really grateful for all the support we've had from the people of Ambler.
"We're looking for everyone to come out for our opening celebration and have a great time."
On the evening of Friday, Oct. 27, Roesser and other dignitaries will wield the silver scissors to cut the ribbon that formally opens the Ambler store. Refreshments, including cake from Ambler's Alice Bakery and coffee from Ambler's Parry Coffee Roasters, will follow. Cake will also be served at the Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy Weavers Way stores.
Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors can enjoy live music, Weavers Way merchandise giveaways, store tours, info tables from community groups and plenty of sampling and tasting.
On Saturday, young people will be the focus, with trick-or-treating, face-painting, a visit from the Wissahickon Fire Company and other kid-friendly activities.
On Sunday, there will be grilling featuring Dietz & Watson, and beer tasting hosted by the Co-op's next-door neighbor, Ambler Beverage Exchange, plus grocery basket raffles.
In honor of the new Ambler store, Weavers Way has also declared Member Appreciation Days on Oct. 27-29, with an extra 5% off all purchases at all stores for Co-op member-owners. Weavers Way is open for everyone to shop; non-members who join can receive the Member Appreciation discount immediately.
Weavers Way Ambler is located at 217 E. Butler Ave. Store hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. The store phone number is 215-302-5550. To arrange a store tour, contact Weavers Way Communications Manager Mary Sweeten at 215-843-2350, ext. 135, or msweeten@weaversway.coop. For more information about Weavers Way Co-op, visit www.weaversway.coop.
Weavers Way Ambler Grand Opening Celebration/Member Appreciation Days 217 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, PA
Ribbon-Cutting and Grand Opening Celebration Set for Oct. 27-29
Ambler, PA, Oct. 17, 2017 — Just days after a "soft" opening to work out the kinks, Weavers Way is preparing to pull out the stops Oct 27-29 for the "official" opening of its newest grocery store.
Weavers Way Ambler is the consumer cooperative's third location. The new store stocks the same healthful, local, sustainable, organic and fairly traded produce, bakery, dairy and groceries as its sister stores in Northwest Philadelphia, in a spacious, modern facility newly renovated by the Co-op at a cost of $4.3 million.
The new store features an expanded prepared-foods kitchen and a sit-down cafe to go with it; a full-service meat and seafood department; a wall of holistic and organic pet foods and products; a massive bulk-grocery section; and an extensive selection of health and wellness and cruelty-free beauty supplies.
"With this great store and great staff, we're looking forward to converting all of Montgomery County into Co-op shoppers," said Weavers Way General Manager John Roesser. "Seriously. . . we're really excited to be here, and really grateful for all the support we've had from the people of Ambler.
"We're looking for everyone to come out for our opening celebration and have a great time."
On the evening of Friday, Oct. 27, Roesser and other dignitaries will wield the silver scissors to cut the ribbon that formally opens the Ambler store. Refreshments, including cake from Ambler's Alice Bakery and coffee from Ambler's Parry Coffee Roasters, will follow. Cake will also be served at the Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy Weavers Way stores.
Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors can enjoy live music, Weavers Way merchandise giveaways, store tours, info tables from community groups and plenty of sampling and tasting.
On Saturday, young people will be the focus, with trick-or-treating, face-painting, a visit from the Wissahickon Fire Company and other kid-friendly activities.
On Sunday, there will be grilling featuring Dietz & Watson, and beer tasting hosted by the Co-op's next-door neighbor, Ambler Beverage Exchange, plus grocery basket raffles.
In honor of the new Ambler store, Weavers Way has also declared Member Appreciation Days on Oct. 27-29, with an extra 5% off all purchases at all stores for Co-op member-owners. Weavers Way is open for everyone to shop; non-members who join can receive the Member Appreciation discount immediately.
Weavers Way Ambler is located at 217 E. Butler Ave. Store hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. The store phone number is 215-302-5550. To arrange a store tour, contact Weavers Way Communications Manager Mary Sweeten at 215-843-2350, ext. 135, or msweeten@weaversway.coop. For more information about Weavers Way Co-op, visit www.weaversway.coop.
Weavers Way Ambler Grand Opening Celebration/Member Appreciation Days 217 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, PA
PHILADELPHIA, PA, Oct. 4, 2017 — After five years of advocacy, collaboration and planning and 22 intense weeks of construction, Weavers Way Co-op is opening its doors in Ambler this month
While the date of the "soft" opening is still a moving target, the new full-service grocery store is expected to be up and running at full cooperative strength well before the weekend-long Grand Opening Celebration Oct. 27-29.
"We'll get this done," said Weavers Way General Manager Jon Roesser. "Then we'll have plenty of time to work out all those new-store kinks before the holiday season, when the mad rush really begins."
Weavers Way is consumer-owned and open to all, and popular for its high-quality products, with an emphasis on sustainable, local and organic. The building, a former Bottom Dollar at 217 E. Butler Ave. in the Montgomery County borough, is being renovated at a cost of $1.7 million. Final setup and shelf-stocking is expected to continue into the second week of October. Store hours will be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
At 11,000 square feet of retail space, the store — the Co-op's third and its first ever outside Northwest Philadelphia — is larger than both of Weavers Way's other locations combined. It features an expanded prepared-food kitchen and a cafe area to complement it, and a full-service meat and seafood department, along with the Co-op's well-regarded bakery, cheese, produce and grocery offerings.
Like the Mt. Airy store, Ambler has large bulk-foods and pet-supply sections. Like both Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill, it boasts an extensive selection of wellness, health and cruelty-free beauty products. Unlike either of the Philadelphia stores, however, the new Ambler location has parking — 85 spaces — and a loading dock.
The grand opening celebration kicks off Friday, Oct. 27, with a 5 p.m. ribbon-cutting, followed by cake and other refreshments and live music. Cake will be cut simultaneously at Weavers Way Mt. Airy and Weavers Way Chestnut Hill as well.
Saturday and Sunday will be chock-a-block with sampling, tastings, demonstrations, fun-and-games and live music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The emphasis will be on kids' and family activities Saturday, the day of Ambler's annual Halloween parade, and on Weavers Way vendors on Sunday, with grilling, beer-tasting, raffles and more sampling and giveaways.
The three-day celebration coincides with Weavers Way Member Appreciation Days, with Co-op members getting an extra 5% off their purchases at all the stores.
The new Co-op fills a gap for Ambler, which has been without a grocery store since Bottom Dollar closed in 2014 after only one year in operation. Weavers Way negotiated a lease on the empty building and began renovations in May 2017.
While the store represents a major extension of Weavers Way's brand and the cooperative economic model, it also is the culmination of a half-decade of hard work by the dedicated members of the Ambler Food Co-op.
AFC organizers started working to establish a food co-op in 2012, engaging residents of the Montgomery County borough of about 6,500 as well as the surrounding area.
“A store that is cooperatively owned by area residents and operated by a successful grocer like Weavers Way Co-op is a powerful approach to fulfilling the needs of the community and creating a sustainable business that will serve many,” said former AFC president Kathleen Casey.
In February, Ambler Food Co-op members overwhelmingly approved a partnership agreement to become Weavers Way members. Long before the store became a reality, "The people of Ambler made Weavers Way part of their community," Roesser said. "Their sense of grassroots community building is at the very heart of the cooperative movement."
The store will employ about 45 staffers, with annual revenues anticipated at $8 million. Weavers Way fiscal 2017 sales topped $21 million for the current locations.
Construction and expenses for opening the Ambler store, such as equipment and initial staffing and stocking, was financed by $1.5 million in loans from Co-op members, including many from the Ambler organization, plus $2.3 million in commercial loans from PNC, the Reinvestment Fund and Ambler Savings Bank. The Montgomery County Development Corp. also approved a $250,000 low-interest loan for the project.
Design work was by Philadelphia architectural firm Strada LLC and construction was managed by Delaware County builder W.S. Cumby. "This project was a true collaborative effort between Strada and Cumby, who worked with the Co-op every step of the way," Roesser said. "For sure we experienced a few delays, but nothing out of the ordinary for a project of this scope."
Weavers Way members cooperatively own their stores with an investment of "member equity" of up to $400 per household. Membership is open to all, and each member household — more than 7,500 as of October 2017, including more than 500 former AFC members— can vote its share in elections for the Co-op's governing Board of Directors.
The original store, at Greene Street and Carpenter Lane in Mt. Airy, has its roots in a buying club started in 1973. The Co-op opened its second full-service store in 2010 in Chestnut Hill, in the old Caruso's Market. Weavers Way also has two standalone wellness-and-beauty specialty shops and a pet-supply store at the current locations, and urban farms spanning two sites and 6.5 acres in the Germantown and Roxborough neighborhoods.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, Oct. 4, 2017 — After five years of advocacy, collaboration and planning and 22 intense weeks of construction, Weavers Way Co-op is opening its doors in Ambler this month
While the date of the "soft" opening is still a moving target, the new full-service grocery store is expected to be up and running at full cooperative strength well before the weekend-long Grand Opening Celebration Oct. 27-29.
"We'll get this done," said Weavers Way General Manager Jon Roesser. "Then we'll have plenty of time to work out all those new-store kinks before the holiday season, when the mad rush really begins."
Weavers Way is consumer-owned and open to all, and popular for its high-quality products, with an emphasis on sustainable, local and organic. The building, a former Bottom Dollar at 217 E. Butler Ave. in the Montgomery County borough, is being renovated at a cost of $1.7 million. Final setup and shelf-stocking is expected to continue into the second week of October. Store hours will be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
At 11,000 square feet of retail space, the store — the Co-op's third and its first ever outside Northwest Philadelphia — is larger than both of Weavers Way's other locations combined. It features an expanded prepared-food kitchen and a cafe area to complement it, and a full-service meat and seafood department, along with the Co-op's well-regarded bakery, cheese, produce and grocery offerings.
Like the Mt. Airy store, Ambler has large bulk-foods and pet-supply sections. Like both Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill, it boasts an extensive selection of wellness, health and cruelty-free beauty products. Unlike either of the Philadelphia stores, however, the new Ambler location has parking — 85 spaces — and a loading dock.
The grand opening celebration kicks off Friday, Oct. 27, with a 5 p.m. ribbon-cutting, followed by cake and other refreshments and live music. Cake will be cut simultaneously at Weavers Way Mt. Airy and Weavers Way Chestnut Hill as well.
Saturday and Sunday will be chock-a-block with sampling, tastings, demonstrations, fun-and-games and live music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The emphasis will be on kids' and family activities Saturday, the day of Ambler's annual Halloween parade, and on Weavers Way vendors on Sunday, with grilling, beer-tasting, raffles and more sampling and giveaways.
The three-day celebration coincides with Weavers Way Member Appreciation Days, with Co-op members getting an extra 5% off their purchases at all the stores.
The new Co-op fills a gap for Ambler, which has been without a grocery store since Bottom Dollar closed in 2014 after only one year in operation. Weavers Way negotiated a lease on the empty building and began renovations in May 2017.
While the store represents a major extension of Weavers Way's brand and the cooperative economic model, it also is the culmination of a half-decade of hard work by the dedicated members of the Ambler Food Co-op.
AFC organizers started working to establish a food co-op in 2012, engaging residents of the Montgomery County borough of about 6,500 as well as the surrounding area.
“A store that is cooperatively owned by area residents and operated by a successful grocer like Weavers Way Co-op is a powerful approach to fulfilling the needs of the community and creating a sustainable business that will serve many,” said former AFC president Kathleen Casey.
In February, Ambler Food Co-op members overwhelmingly approved a partnership agreement to become Weavers Way members. Long before the store became a reality, "The people of Ambler made Weavers Way part of their community," Roesser said. "Their sense of grassroots community building is at the very heart of the cooperative movement."
The store will employ about 45 staffers, with annual revenues anticipated at $8 million. Weavers Way fiscal 2017 sales topped $21 million for the current locations.
Construction and expenses for opening the Ambler store, such as equipment and initial staffing and stocking, was financed by $1.5 million in loans from Co-op members, including many from the Ambler organization, plus $2.3 million in commercial loans from PNC, the Reinvestment Fund and Ambler Savings Bank. The Montgomery County Development Corp. also approved a $250,000 low-interest loan for the project.
Design work was by Philadelphia architectural firm Strada LLC and construction was managed by Delaware County builder W.S. Cumby. "This project was a true collaborative effort between Strada and Cumby, who worked with the Co-op every step of the way," Roesser said. "For sure we experienced a few delays, but nothing out of the ordinary for a project of this scope."
Weavers Way members cooperatively own their stores with an investment of "member equity" of up to $400 per household. Membership is open to all, and each member household — more than 7,500 as of October 2017, including more than 500 former AFC members— can vote its share in elections for the Co-op's governing Board of Directors.
The original store, at Greene Street and Carpenter Lane in Mt. Airy, has its roots in a buying club started in 1973. The Co-op opened its second full-service store in 2010 in Chestnut Hill, in the old Caruso's Market. Weavers Way also has two standalone wellness-and-beauty specialty shops and a pet-supply store at the current locations, and urban farms spanning two sites and 6.5 acres in the Germantown and Roxborough neighborhoods.
