The Dill Pickle Food Co-op

What The Dill Pickle Food Co-op does

The Dill Pickle Food Co-op is a member-owned grocery cooperative operating a single 10,000 sq. ft. retail storefront at 2746 N Milwaukee Ave in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, where it has served the community since opening in December 2009. The store sells locally sourced, organic, GMO-free, Fair Trade, and ethically produced groceries including fresh produce, prepared foods, meat, cheese, beer/wine/spirits, and general center-store items, supplemented by a co-op cafe, rotating art exhibitions in The Gallery, and seasonal holiday turkey pre-orders. Customers can shop in-store or order online via a Mercato.com integration for delivery and curbside pickup.

Name

The Dill Pickle Food Co-op

Legal name

The Dill Pickle Food Co-op

Website

https://dillpickle.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Dill Pickle Food Co-op is a community-owned grocery cooperative operating a single retail store in Chicago's Logan Square, serving local residents and 4,000+ member-owners with organic, locally sourced groceries, prepared foods, and community programs since 2009.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community-Owned Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400), Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAHALAH

Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Food Co-ops & Community Grocery

SECONDARYCRAHALAB

Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Food Co-ops & Community Grocery

SECONDARYCRAHAEAE

Natural Specialty Food Stores (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Keto, Allergy-Friendly)

Consumer Products & Retail/Grocery & Food Retail/Natural/Organic & Health Food Stores

Keywords

• Community-owned grocery
• Organic food retail
• Local cooperative grocery
• Sustainable grocery store
• Specialty grocery shop

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: The primary revenue stream is retail sales of groceries, including fresh produce, prepared foods, meat, cheese, beer/wine/spirits, and general center store items. The co-op sources locally and prioritizes organic, sustainable, and ethically produced products. Customers can shop in-store or order online via Mercato for delivery or curbside pickup. Owner-members receive discounts on deals and special orders.
2. Member Equity Shares: Revenue is also generated through the sale of equity shares to member-owners. Each share costs $100 (maximum 10 shares per owner), with installment plans available at $10/month. While share purchases are not dividends-bearing investments, they represent a form of upfront capital contribution that supports the co-op's financial stability and growth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Dill Pickle Food Co-op operates a 10,000 sq. ft. brick-and-mortar grocery store at 2746 N Milwaukee Ave in Chicago, selling locally sourced, organic, GMO-free, and sustainably produced groceries including fresh produce, prepared foods, meat, cheese, beer/wine/spirits, and general center store items. The co-op is member-owned with over 4,000 community owners who purchase $100 equity shares and receive discounts and governance rights. Customers can shop in-store or order online via Mercato for delivery or curbside pickup.

Product overview

The Dill Pickle Food Co-op is a community-owned grocery cooperative operating a single brick-and-mortar retail location in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. The core offering is an in-store grocery service featuring locally sourced, organic, and sustainably produced food products. Additional services include online ordering via Mercato.com, special orders for case quantities, and seasonal programs like pre-orderable holiday turkeys. The co-op runs community programs including Link Match (SNAP benefit doubling), Round Up at the Register (charitable giving), Co+op Explorers (kids fruit program), and The Gallery (art exhibitions). A small cafe area provides in-store dining and accommodates community group gatherings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Store Grocery Retail Full-service grocery store offering locally sourced, organic, and sustainably produced food products serving the Logan Square and Avondale communities in Chicago. Open daily 8am-9pm.
• Turkey Orders Seasonal pre-order program for local, humanely raised holiday turkeys from Ferndale Market (Minnesota) and Slagel Family Farms (Illinois). Requires a $15 deposit.
• Special Orders Case quantity ordering service for favorite products with a 20% case discount for co-op owners. Staff helps source items from distributors that may not be regularly carried.
• Order Online Online grocery ordering via Mercato.com with curbside pickup and delivery options extending the co-op's reach beyond walk-in customers.
• Co-op Cafe In-store eating area where customers can enjoy hot bar or deli meals. Available for community group gatherings up to 25 guests.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.3M gross sales in first fiscal year of operation (nearly double the original projection for year 5)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Common PantryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Common Pantry is a nonprofit that has served the community for over 50 years providing healthy food and support to those in need. The co-op featured Common Pantry as a Round Up at the Register recipient in May 2025.
• SisterHouse ChicagominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025SisterHouse Chicago is a nonprofit organization that empowers women seeking recovery by providing a secure environment of respect, peace, and stability. The co-op featured SisterHouse Chicago as its Round Up at the Register recipient for June 2025.
• Red Door Animal ShelterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Red Door Animal Shelter was featured as a Round Up at the Register partner (April-June 2025 cycle), receiving donations from co-op shoppers who rounded up their purchases.
• Dill Pickle Food Co-op Workers Union (DPFCWU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2023The co-op and its independent workers' union (established 2022) signed a new three-year collective bargaining agreement in December 2023. The agreement includes substantial pay increases, nine paid holidays, improved PTO accrual, seniority benefits, a new dispute resolution policy, and collaborative store management evaluation.
• Link Up Illinois / Experimental StationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLink Up Illinois is a program of Experimental Station that doubles the value of SNAP/LINK purchases for fresh produce at participating farmers markets, farm stands, food co-ops, and independent grocery stores across Illinois. The Dill Pickle participates as one of the 12 participating grocery stores and 44 farmers markets in Chicago, providing $1 coupons for every $1 spent on SNAP-eligible items, with coupon limits of $5-$10 per visit.
• Too Good To GocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerToo Good To Go is a food waste reduction app that allows the co-op to sell surplus food items at discounted prices through 'surprise bags.' This aligns with the co-op's Cooperative Principle 7 (Concern for Community) and sustainable development goals. Each department contributes food; the co-op receives a percentage of daily ordered surprise bags.
• Ferndale MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFerndale Market (Cannon Falls, Minnesota) supplies the co-op's holiday turkey orders, offering whole raw turkeys, smoked turkeys, and turkey breasts. Turkeys are raised humanely without antibiotics. Ferndale products are featured annually for Thanksgiving and holiday ordering.
• Slagel Family FarmscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSlagel Family Farms (Fairbury, Illinois) supplies fresh, humanely raised holiday turkeys to the co-op. Turkeys arrive fresh (not frozen) and are available for pickup only after November 15th.
• Gotham GreensminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGotham Greens is a sustainable greenhouse produce company. They participated as a vendor at the co-op's Summer Night Tasting Fair events.
• Jeni's Ice CreamminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJeni's Ice Cream participated as a vendor at the Summer Night Tasting Fair events hosted at the co-op.
• Driftless Seed SupplyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDriftless Seed Supply partnered with the co-op to host a Spring Sowing Workshop on March 23, 2025, providing gardening education and seeds to community members.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Trader Joe's: Specialty private-label grocery chain with strong private-label product development and a curated assortment. Overlaps with The Dill Pickle on health-conscious and differentiated-product positioning, but at scale and with lower price points.
• Whole Foods Market: Amazon-owned national natural and organic grocery chain operating in Chicago. Competes for the same health-conscious and sustainability-focused shopper segment but at vastly larger scale and broader assortment.
• Sprouts Farmers Market: National specialty grocer emphasizing natural, organic, and fresh products at value prices. Comparable product mix to The Dill Pickle, though serves a much broader geographic footprint with chain-store efficiency.
• Mariano's (Kroger): Chicago-area upscale grocery banner owned by Kroger with strong produce, organic, and prepared foods offerings. Operates in the same Logan Square-adjacent trade area and competes directly for health-conscious shoppers.

Direct peers

• PCC Community Markets: Seattle-area consumer-owned food cooperative with multiple stores focused on organic, local, and sustainably sourced products. Comparable cooperative ownership model and natural/specialty grocery positioning, though at significantly larger scale.
• Park Slope Food Coop: Brooklyn-based community-owned food co-op operating a single large grocery store with mandatory member-labor participation. Highly comparable governance model, single-store format, and member-equity structure to The Dill Pickle.
• Wheatsville Food Coop: Texas-based community-owned food cooperative operating grocery stores in Austin and San Antonio. Directly comparable cooperative governance model, organic/local product focus, and community-programming orientation.

Regional players

• Plum Market: Midwest-based premium natural and organic grocery operator with multiple locations including Chicago. Comparable product mix focused on local, organic, and specialty items, operating in overlapping Chicago geography.
• Local Foods Chicago: Chicago-based distributor and grocer focused on locally sourced products from Midwest farmers and producers. Comparable emphasis on regional sourcing within roughly the same geography, though primarily wholesale and prepared-foods focused.

Emerging players

• Erewhon: Los Angeles-based premium organic grocery chain with strong local-brand following and curated wellness assortment. Comparable positioning around organic, local, and curated specialty products, though at significantly higher price points.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DillPickleFoodCoop
• Instagraminstagram.com/dillpicklefoodcoop
• Xx.com/dillpicklecoop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dill-pickle-food-co-op

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Dill Pickle Food Co-op