Grocery

Customer Question: Please carry the kids Perfect bars – smaller and come in box.
Co-op Answer: Thank you for your input! This product looks like a great option – we should be able to find space for one or two flavors of these. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Are you still going to carry Manna Bread or is it discontinued?
A: Thank you for your input! Are you asking about the Nature’s Path Manna Bread? It looks like these breads were discontinued by the manufacturer in 2017 and 2018, which is why we no longer carry them. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Missing the Suzie brand flatbread crackers.
A: Thank you for your input! Unfortunately this item was discontinued by our distributor and is no longer available to us. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please carry vanilla goat yogurt.
A: Thank you for your input! Currently, space in our yogurt section is completely full. I will put this item on our list of recommendations for the next time we review the section. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: I really miss Bearitos tortilla chips. What happened to them?
A: Thank you for your input. Bearitos is actually the same company/chip maker as Garden of Eatin. They chose to consolidate and stop making Bearitos branded chips about two years ago. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please get roasted yerba matte again! Thanks. A
A: Thank you for your input! I am not seeing any roasted yerba matte in our order history. Was there a specific brand you were looking for? -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: I need the Bug Bite chocolate squares back in my life please!
A: Thank you for your input! Unfortunately, this item was discontinued by our distributor and is no longer available to us. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please bring back the “Real Pickles” pickles, they are the only ones I purchase. Thanks.
A: Thank you for your input! Real Pickles only sources from New England farms, which means some vegetable sourcing is highly seasonable. Their pickles are only available for a limited time during the year. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: The single serve cauliflower meals have so much plastic packaging! (On display – end cap 9/12/19). Please consider packaging when deciding about carrying a product.
A: Thank you for your input! We definitely consider packaging when we bring in items and always try to give preference to recyclable or compostable packaging, if there is that option. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Can you please start carrying beet kvass?
A: thank you for your input! We are currently carrying a beet kvass in our fermented food section from Sobramesa. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Get in HU (human chocolate).
A: Thank you for your input! Currently, HU is not working with any of our distributors. We generally do not take direct orders for non-local items, to respect our buyers’ time and our limited back stock space. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please carry Back Door Bread. Excellent, excellent bread.
A: Thank you for your input! We are currently maxed out for space in our bakery, but if space opens up, I will certainly keep this brand in mind! -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Lily’s sweets has peanut butter cups! Quest chips would also be very much appreciated by those with blood sugar issues.
A: Thank you for your input! This is the third request I’ve had for the Lily’s cups, so we will definitely get those in! It does not appear that any of our current distributors are carrying Quest chips. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Everyone everywhere is out of dulse. What happened? Did the ocean run out of seaweed?
A: Thank you for your input! We did lose one brand of dulse recently but we still have Ironbound Main Dulse (whole) and Ocean’s Balance Dulse Flakes on our shelves. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Rising Moon: Gluten free, organic, potato gnocchi. (Please and thank you!)
A: Thank you for your input! Currently, this section of our freezers is completely full. However, when we next conduct a category review if this section, we will consider adding it in. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please add/obtain: Rising Moon gluten free gnocchi to the freezer.
A: Thank you for your input! Currently, this section of our freezers is completely full. However, when we next conduct a category review if this section, we will consider adding it in. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: What happened to the Honchos?
A: Thank you for your input! These have been long term out of stock from our distributors but they should be coming back within the next couple of weeks! -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Can you please carry Alter Eco mint crisp 90% chocolate.
A: Thank you for your input! We can definitely add this item in, as we have planty of space in this section. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Food Services

Q: Please carry creamy tomato soup in the hot bar more often.
A: Will do! I will let Joe know how much you enjoyed it. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: I came in earlier in the day to reserve meals – wasn’t an option. Came at 7:10 – sold out. Disappointed as I was counting on it for a post after school meal for my family. I hope you figure out a way to make it last or allow reserving. It’s a great idea but does’t totally work if you can’t depend on it.
A: Thanks for the feedback. Sorry we couldn’t meet your needs. It was our first test and we did 487 meals! -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Big Gear decaf is much better than your cafe decaf. Also you don’t carry it in bags in coffee dept. Thanks for all your work!
A: Thanks, I’ll give it a try. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: When you run a $5 dinner meal event, close down the hot and cold food bar and only run a food line for the event. The set up for this event was too chaotic.
A: I am sorry that we didn’t meet your expectations that night but the hot/cold bar was open and deli services were being offered though certainly the large line made it challenging to access and service it. But we did feed 487 meals! -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Once upon a time there was sesame-ginger tofu in the grab and go cafe. I’d love to see it return!
A: Thanks for the request – yes, that was a sugar coated popular item but too labor intensive to consistently produce and we stopped serving that about 4 years ago – gone but not forgotten. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Super friendly awesome staff. I love you guys and folks. But – could the deli folks finish sandwiches before they have long convos with their friends?
A: Yes, they can and they should. Thanks for the feedback. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Just the calorie content per portion at the buffet (if possible).
A: Good idea, Peter. This has been on my mind to do and I believe eventually it will be done wither by law or our initiative. -Doug, Prepared Foods Mananger

Q: In the not too distant past the dutch goat gouda was slightly creamy – well let’s just say soft – and it was sliceable. Last week I returned a piece because it was way too salty for anything other than grating and also it crumble when cut. If possible, bring back the farmer cheese – thank you!
A: I’m sorry, but that gouda is not available right now – I’m not sure if we’ll get it in again. Farmer cheese is here. It’s a slow seller so I periodically discontinue it. Thanks for your input. -Bibi, Cheese Buyer

Q: Our favorite products are no longer on the shelf. Quark and Farmers cheese. Please bring back! You carry 7 types of cream cheese! Let’s mix it up!
A: Farmers cheese is back – slow seller so I discontinue it and brink it back in the months that it sells. Quark – slow seller also – suggest try the Liebe brand yogurt quark in the dairy section. -Bibi, Cheese Buyer

General

Q: Its there a real reason that the proof of membership in Adamant Coop is required at the cash register? Have there been fraudulent claims of membership? I have regularly shopped at HM Coop since it strted and frankly find it insulting that to need to show a card to prove my good standing with Adamant and honesty.
A: It’s certainly not intended to be insulting. I think of it more as due diligence. Some of the local co-ops have annual dues so requiring member cards is the only way to check that the customer is current with their dues at our sister co-op. -Kari, General Manager

Q: It’s 60 degrees outside and some cars in the parking lot are idling. I think the Co-op should post please do not idle signs. Thanks.
A: We will. Thank you! -Kari, General Manager

Q: Please use less plastic – between the fish, the prepackaged foods, the bags available for bulk – it seems really excessive and unnecessary.
A: Unfortunately so much of our food these days, including organic and local food, comes in plastic. We need to start changing our practices as a food system and we have teams in store and nationally working on strategies. -Kari, General Manager

Q: Some people are parking/ charging at the car charging spot for hours. Suggest a sign limiting charging/parking to “while you shop” or 1-2 hrs. Thanks!
A: Thanks for the suggestion. I am not sure if a sign will change the behavior since most of these customers stay in our building while charging. We do plan to add another charger to help with this. -Kari, General Manager

Q: How about one number per household? Easier for all.
A: Current Co-op bylaws require membership to be individually based. It may be possible to have a 2X membership with one number to be used by two memberships. Is that what you are requesting?

Q: It’s a shame that the leak in the bathroom sink has been allowed to go on so long that it has stained the sink.
A: The sink faucet has been repaired (a while ago) but we are working on addressing the rust. Thanks for your comment. -Mary, Facilities Manager

Q: Freezing eating lunch even with a coat on.
A: Sorry to hear that you were cold – it sounds like it is time to turn on the cafe heat. Thanks for letting us know. -Mary, Facilities Manager

Q: What happened to the trash can near the exit? I miss it.
A: We removed the receptacle because it was being widely used to discard household waste. We do have trash and recycling receptacles at the store exit should you need them. Thanks for asking. -Mary, Facilities Manager

Q: Hand sanitizer at front door has been empty for almost two weeks!
A: Thank you for letting us know, it has been refilled. Our facilities team will keep a closer eye on it. Also, if you do find it empty, we are happy to refill it right then. Please feel free to let us know! Thank you! -Mary, Facilities Manager

Q: One bicycle rack? In this time of climate change. Please more!
A: We do have a second rack on the east side of the building. We may need to add a third. I will discuss with our facilities team. -Kari, General Manager

Q: Turn the car parking into bike and bus stop over time.
A: Thank you. Interesting thought. That would be a whole lot of bike parking. Unfortunately, the Montpelier Circulator will be ending its stop at the Co-op due to a lack of ridership, I believe. -Kari, General Manager

Q: There are too few sale items. Very few member only sales and few others.
A: Sorry to disappoint. Most sales in our industry are initiated by the producers. Member sales are somewhat different so we will reiterate that we need to maintain an adequate number of those. -Kari, General Manager

Q: Your folks are pretty much always friendly and helpful. Congratulations on building such a great customer/owner service culture. I hope your hard working employees know how grateful we all are.
A: Thank you. Very nice of you to say. -Kari, General Manager