Grocery

Customer Question: I’m glad to see that you carry various Japanese noodles (i.e. soba, udon).  I think it would be great if you also carried soup base which is for those noodles.  

Co-op Answer: Thank you for your input! We have a few fresh pho broth options but have been unable to find a ramen broth, a shelf stable pho broth, or any other Japanese broths.  If you know of any brands, please let me know.  -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: looking for a matcha tea bamboo whisk brush used in making matcha tea. 

A: Thank you for your input! I am no able to find this item from any of our distributors. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Granny Blossoms apple smoked BBQ sauce? VT made!

A: Thank you for your input! I will certainly reach out to this company to find out more.  We did bring in two local BBQ sauces this summer – Jummy D. Kennedy’s BBQ sauce and the VT Butcher Shop BBQ sauce.  -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Would you pleas look into getting Mateo salsa? It is delicious!

A: Thank you for your input! Our salsa set is fairly full at this time and it does not appear that any of our distributors currently carry this product. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: On ketogenic diet – awesome vendor for this is Julian Bakery – Healthy Living carries their crackers, breads (frozen) and grain/carb-free granola to die for. 

A: Thank you for your input! I will work with our frozen buyer to find room for the breads and we should have space for the crackers. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Can you start carrying Brio’s flash chilled coffee? Thanks.

A: Thank you for your input! This sounds great! I will certainly reach out to Brio to see if they can deliver chilled products to us. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Could you please bring back Capa di Roma balsamic vinegar?

A: Thank you for your input! Unfortunately, this product was discontinued by our distributor and is no longer available to us. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Loved the Sweet Doe goat milk gelato tasting! I hope you continue to stock it!

A: Thank you for your input – I love it too! We are definitely planning to keep it around. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Re: Nature’s Path bagged cereal – when it is packed tightly on the shelf, a lot of it gets crushed. I end up throwing away about a bowl worth because it’s powder/.

A: Thank you for your input! I will certainly pass along this message to our grocery stocking team. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Pita always out of stock – why?

A: Thank you for your input! I will reach out to Patchwork to see if they can increase the quantity they send us. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Could you please carry McVites dark chocolate cookies?

A: Thank you for your input! At this time, I do not think we will be bringing this product in.  If there is an increase in demand for it, I will happily reconsider. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Can you please carry Stacy’s organic tortillas? They are yummy with no weird ingredients. Thanks!

A: Thank you for your input! We are planning to bring these in in the next 6 months.  We will have room for them after our next bakery reset.  -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Halvah, please!

A: Thank you for your input! Halvah is, finally, available from one of our distributors and we will be bringing it in as soon as we have a steady supply. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: What happened to the Earth Balance sticks?  When a long-time product disappears, can you post a not on the shelves with an explanation? Thanks to Mark on the floor staff for his help!

A: Thank you for your input! Signage is a great idea! The sticks were discontinued because they were the slowest selling Earth Balance item and customers were requesting a new vegan butter option without palm or canola oil. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Food Services

Q: I never like the drip coffee from the deli.  I think it is  brewed too hot – H20 should be 190 degrees for coffee, I believe.

A: Thanks for the suggestion. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Recently there were no metal forks.  I asked 3 times.  It took an hour to get new metal forks, but by that time I had finished my meal.

A: I am sorry to hear this, thank you for bringing it to our attention.  This is not indicative of the service we are trying to proved and should do better. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Don’t take the hot breakfast away before the hot lunch is out, please.  Thank you.

A: We don’t, actually, but only make a certain number of them before lunch service.  After they run out, they are made to order at the counter.  -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Please stop putting added sugar in the food at the hot bar. 
A: We have removed added sugar from most of our recipes as often it is unnecessary.  There are some that simply are not the same without it and those few remain. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Too much hit or miss with cold deli take out – hard to plan whether to com here or not for lunch.  

A: Are you aware that you can check our offerings online or call to plan more effectively? Or are you saying it isn’t the menus that are hit and miss but the quality? Please come see me to discuss. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: What’s up with the hot bar tonight (Tuesday).  Sour cream ran out, tortillas ran out, salsa ran out.  I shopped, came back, all still out. 

A: Not at all what you should expect or what we are working towards.  Thank you for bringing it to my attention.   It will be used as a training opportunity. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Can we have maple syrup at the coffee bar as an alternative to sugar?

A: I don’t plan on offering that as an option.  Having a $60/gallon garnish on a $20/gallon item wouldn’t make sense in our pricing model. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Please make all the cookies with organic butter. Thanks!

A: We do.  We only purchase organic butter for use in the deli.  Which cookie are you referring to? Mislabel perhaps or not one of ours? -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Please label the bulk olives pitted or pits in.  Thank you!

A: There are pits in even the “pitted” olives so we have chosen not to label them that way in the interest of being extra safety minded. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Please consider replacing Beef Paprikash at hot bar with a non-dairy beef dish.  One day you had a fantastic (Greek?) beef dish.  No dairy. 
A: These don’t have to be mutually exclusive.  They are both delicious items and can be served on different days – we did serve both within the last week! -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Maple syrup at the coffee station would be yummy!

A: It would be yummy but not cost effective at $50+ per gallon. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: It would be great to see some new options in the deli pre-made food section.  Particularly some sushi options (City Market does those).  Thanks for considering.

A: We offer sushi made daily on M-F with the goal of running out each day so it is always fresh. It typically is on the shelf by 11:30. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: I’m really hoping that the non-splinter-in-the-lip forks will make their way back to the to-go food area. Balsa wood is a bit problematic but an interesting idea. 

A: We haven’t planned on bringing the plastic back as we are trying to minimize our use of these products.  Have you had an issue with the bamboo? Please talk to me about it so we can address – we do have silverware available as well. -Doug, Prepared Foods Department

Q: Co-op needs a juice bar and a fruit bar.  Let’s get caught up with the 21st century and graduate from the baked goods and lasagna and rice and beans. It’s all good – but dated. Many folks are moving away from heavy eating. 

A: Thanks for the suggestion.  Juice bar would be delicious but we haven’t come up with an effective way to execute this without adding another system /process to the large list we already ask of our deli staff. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Working to avoid diabetes – please stop adding honey, sugar, molasses at hot bar.  Please no added sugar!

A: We have minimized added sugars in all our dishes and removed them when they serve no culinary purpose or are that can be achieved in other ways. Some items simply require that flavor though. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Cole slaw without raw onions or sweetener? 

A: Thanks for the suggestion.  We are working on offering a version of our salad bar simple slaw for grab and go for this very reason. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager 

Wellness

Q: Suggestion: in addition to your 20% off vitamins/supplements on Wednesdays, could you also give members one 20% off day that is not a Wednesday, a day of their choice, so we can still get the deal even if we cannot get here on Wednesdays?

A: Thanks for the interesting idea.  It’s one we haven’t thought of.  We will give this some thought. -Laura, Wellness Manager

Q: Nuun tablets in Vit: I use these myself for a health condition.  I notice you only have the kind with vitamins added.  Consider the plain electrolyte ones.  I use 4-5 a day – too many for added vitamins.  I currently special order from my home coop, Plainfield.

A: Thank’s for the idea.  We have plans to bring in the Nuun Electrolytes.  Stay tuned. -Laura, Wellness Manager

Q: My dentist just recommended Dr. Tung’s “Smartfloss”.  I LOVE it and would like to buy it here.  It’s cardamom flavored and cleans teeth way better than even Tom’s floss.  Amazing!

A: We will review this product when we look at category management for this area. In the meantime, we would be happy to special order it for you. -Laura, Wellness Manager

General

Q: When bulletin boards are reinstalled, please limit the size of postings to 1/2 page to make room for everyone. Thanks!

A: Thank you for your suggestion.  To accommodate as many community members as possible, we provide space for a range of posting sizes so no one is left out due to the size of their posting.  We do have a process for cleaning the bulletin boards so that postings are current and new space will open up. -Robert, Asst. Community Relations Manager

Q: Why does the banner of co-op principles come from some other co-op? I mean really?

A: Thanks.  What is your concern specifically? Aesthetics or something else? -Kari, General Manager

Q: Please charge us for bags! Be a leader!

A: Thank you for the input.  This is something we have discussed, but I don’t feel it is in the Co-op’s best interest right now.  Have you seen our new reusable bag exchange above the ice chest? -Kari, General Manager

Q: All organic.

A: The Co-op emphasizes organics but we also offer a variety of non-organic products to meet our customers’ needs.  About 40% of annual sales come from certified organic which is high relative to a lot of co-ops. -Kari, General Manager

Q: In case you doubt the values of the electric shopping cart – I came for coffee only and because I was able to shop in comfort (bad knees) I spent $25! P.S. I am one of the people who, with Mary M., urged HMC to acquire the cart.

A: Thanks for the feedback and we are glad you like the cart. -Kari, General Manager