Belfast Community

What Belfast Community does

Belfast Community Co-op is a consumer cooperative operating a single full-service grocery store at 123 High Street in downtown Belfast, Maine. Founded in 1976 as a natural-foods buying club and converted to a brick-and-mortar storefront the same year, the co-op has grown through three location moves (most recently to 123 High Street in 1993) and a 2024 renovation funded by a $1.5 million owner-loan capital campaign. The store is open 7 AM to 9 PM daily and stocks local, organic, natural, and conventional groceries, with an attached café serving prepared foods and an online "Shop for Me" curbside-pickup channel powered by storebyweb.com.

The co-op is owned by 5,000+ member-owners as of early 2025 (including 500+ new owners in the prior year), each holding $200 in equity (or paying $15/year installments), and is governed by a 9–13-member elected Board of Directors under a Policy Governance model. Revenue is generated primarily through retail grocery sales ($11M reported in early 2025), supplemented by the in-store café, pre-order discounts on case-size orders, Owner Rewards points (2 pts/$ on local products), and one-time equity payments. The company also operates food-access programs (CORE 10% discount for SNAP/EBT, TANF, HEAP, SSI, and WIC recipients; Farm Fresh Rewards; Cases for a Cause) and the Common Cents round-up donation program, which directed $32,649.75 to 12 local nonprofits in H1 2025.

The technology footprint is deliberately light: a Catapult POS system (installed 2001), a third-party e-commerce storefront, and standard corporate productivity tools. There are no proprietary technology products, no documented APIs, no AI/ML capabilities, and no mobile applications. The competitive positioning rests on community ownership, 50-year brand heritage, 240+ local vendor relationships, living-wage employment (achieved October 2021), and a 2022 rebrand to "Belfast Community Co-op" — not on technology differentiation.

Name

Belfast Community

Legal name

Belfast Community Co-op

Website

https://belfast.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Belfast Community Co-op is a single-location, consumer-owned grocery cooperative in Belfast, Maine serving Midcoast Maine residents with local, organic, and natural foods, an in-store café, online curbside ordering, and community-led food-access and giving programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community-Owned Grocery Retail

NAICS

Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Member-Owned Food Cooperatives (CRAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli (CRAHALAF), Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery (CRAHALAH)

Keywords

• Community grocery store
• Consumer cooperative
• Organic local food
• Prepared foods café
• Online grocery pickup

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: Primary revenue from retail sales of groceries, including produce, dairy, meats, baked goods, prepared foods, vitamins, supplements, wines, beers, and ciders. Sales reached $11M in early 2025.
2. Owner Equity Investment: Revenue from owner equity payments. Individual ownership costs $200 paid in full or $15/year installments. The co-op has over 5,000 owners as of early 2025, including 500+ new owners in the past year.
3. Café and Food Service: Revenue from the in-store café serving breakfast, lunch, coffee, and prepared foods. The café features Co-op Made items as well as products from local vendors like Chow Maine and Little Lad's.
4. Pre-order Program: Pre-order discounts (15% off) for case-size orders of regularly stocked items available to owners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Belfast Community Co-op is a community-owned consumer cooperative operating a single full-service grocery store in downtown Belfast, Maine. It sells local, organic, natural, and conventional groceries—including produce, dairy, meats, baked goods, prepared foods, vitamins, wine, beer, and ciders—alongside an in-store café and a curbside online ordering service called Shop for Me. Owner-members invest $200 in equity to receive voting rights, discounts, and patronage dividends, while the Co-op supports food access through CORE, SNAP/EBT/WIC, and Farm Fresh Rewards programs.

Product overview

The Belfast Community Co-op is a single full-service community-owned grocery store in Belfast, Maine operating as a consumer cooperative since 1976. Its primary product is the physical grocery store offering a wide selection of local, organic, natural, and conventional foods. The Co-op's service ecosystem includes Shop for Me (curbside online ordering), an in-store Café (grab-and-go prepared foods), and an Owner Rewards loyalty program. Community and food-access programs — CORE discount program, Common Cents round-up giving, Cases for a Cause, Farm Fresh Rewards, and SNAP/WIC acceptance — extend the Co-op's mission beyond retail into food justice. Seasonal programs like blueberry pre-orders and the Rootstock annual report provide additional engagement touchpoints.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Co-op Café: In-store café offering grab-and-go foods, coffee, breakfast, lunch, and baked goods prepared in-house and from local vendors. Features bright seating area for community gathering.

Products and services

• Belfast Community Co-op Grocery Store A full-service community-owned grocery store in Belfast, Maine offering local, organic, natural, and conventional products including produce, dairy, meats, baked goods, vitamins, bulk goods, prepared foods, and curated wines and craft beers. Open 7 AM to 9 PM daily.
• Shop for Me A free curbside pickup and online grocery ordering service available to all shoppers (owners and non-owners), accepting EBT at pickup, with orders placed 24/7 and pickup slots from 10 AM to 4 PM.
• Co-op Café An in-store café offering freshly prepared grab-and-go foods including breakfast sandwiches, hot soups, pizzas, salads, wraps, and baked goods, plus coffee and seating for community gatherings. Open starting at 7 AM daily.
• Owner Rewards Program A points-based loyalty program for Co-op owners earning 2 points per dollar on local products and 1 point per dollar on other products, redeemable at 300 points for $3, plus quarterly bonus coupons and pre-order discounts.
• CORE (Cooperative Ownership Reaching Everyone) Program A need-based discount program offering 10% off most products (stackable with Co+op Deals) and an extended $10/year equity payment option, available to SNAP/EBT, TANF, HEAP, SSI, and WIC participants and other qualifying households.
• Common Cents A monthly round-up donation program where shoppers round up their purchase to the nearest dollar, with 100% of donations going to 12 local nonprofits selected annually by Co-op owner vote.
• Cases for a Cause A monetary donation program where funds are used to purchase cases of food at reduced cost for local nonprofit partners including the Belfast Soup Kitchen, maximizing impact per donated dollar.
• Farm Fresh Rewards A SNAP/EBT shopper incentive providing 50% off local fruits and vegetables, linked with Maine Harvest Bucks for use at farmers' markets, CSAs, and farm stands statewide.
• SNAP/EBT and WIC Acceptance The Co-op accepts SNAP/EBT for all eligible grocery purchases and was the first food co-op in Maine to accept WIC benefits, serving as a federal nutrition safety net partner.
• Blueberry Pre-Order A seasonal pre-order program for local and organic blueberries from Blue Barrens Farm in Cherryfield, Maine, available in 5-lb boxes at owner and regular pricing with weekly ordering cycles and Tuesday/Wednesday pickup.

Quantifiable outcome

• $32,649.75 donated to local groups through Common Cents in first half of 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Revision EnergyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Clean energy partnership offering Belfast Community Co-op owners exclusive discounts on solar/clean energy installations as part of 50th anniversary celebrations.
• Maine Strong Memorial FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Emergency fund partnership for Robbins Lumber fire relief (May 2025). The co-op donated $5,000 immediately and pledged an additional $2,500 matching funds for customer donations, generating over $9,000 total for fire relief.
• PicacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Local brand agency that worked with the co-op on rebranding in 2022. Created new name (Belfast Community Co-op), new logo featuring 'heart-apple' symbol, and new website design. Rebrand supported the facility renovation project and capital campaign.
• National Co+op Grocers (NCG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012The Belfast Community Co-op joined National Co+op Grocers (NCG) in 2012, the same year a nationwide shift made natural and organic food widely accessible. NCG provides collective buying power, marketing support, and operational resources for cooperative grocery stores.
• Chow MaineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal vendor in Trenton providing grab-and-go food items for the Co-op Café.
• Little Lad'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal vendor in Corinth providing grab-and-go food items for the Co-op Café.
• Belfast Soup KitchencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal nonprofit partner for food donations and the Cases for a Cause program. The co-op works with them to help get food to those in need in the community.
• VFWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organization for food distribution and community support.
• Maine Harvest BuckscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide program linked with Farm Fresh Rewards that can also be used at farmers markets, CSAs, and farm stands. The co-op participates to expand access to affordable fresh produce.
• Wabanaki Benefit FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommon Cents recipient for February 2025. The co-op presented them with a check for $6,055 of round-up donations to assist in their important work supporting Wabanaki communities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hanover Co-op Food Stores: Consumer-owned food co-op serving the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire/Vermont. Highly comparable member-owned grocery model, similar size band, similar local-organic positioning and community programs.
• Wheatsville Food Co-op: Consumer-owned grocery co-op in Austin, Texas offering full grocery, deli, and prepared foods with a community mission. Comparable member-owned model and local/organic positioning.
• GreenStar Cooperative Market: Ithaca, New York member-owned food co-op with full-line grocery, café, and strong local-producer sourcing. Directly comparable cooperative structure and community-oriented programs.
• Seward Co-op: Minneapolis-based consumer-owned grocery and café co-op with comparable local-organic positioning, owner rewards structure, and community giving programs. Slightly larger scale but same operating model.
• Hunger Mountain Cooperative: Member-owned food co-op in Montpelier, Vermont operating a single full-line grocery store with café and community programs. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and New England rural-market dynamics.
• City Market / Onion River Co-op: Burlington, Vermont consumer food co-op with full grocery, café, and similar community giving/food-access programs. Same NCG affiliation and very similar operating footprint and customer base.
• Outpost Natural Foods Cooperative: Wisconsin-based consumer food cooperative with multiple stores, café, and similar local-organic emphasis. Comparable member-owned model, scale tier, and community-giving programs.
• Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op: Vermont-based consumer food co-op with a similar full-service grocery store, café, and community-owned structure. Comparable scale, rural New England market, and local-vendor emphasis.

Broad incumbents

• PCC Community Markets: Largest consumer-owned food co-op in the U.S., operating multiple stores in the Seattle area. Comparable cooperative grocery model and local-organic focus, but materially larger scale and multi-store footprint.
• Hannaford Supermarkets: Regional grocery chain operating across New England including Midcoast Maine. Represents the conventional-grocer competitive set the Co-op competes against on price, assortment, and convenience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@belfastcoop
• Facebookfacebook.com/belfastcooperative
• Instagraminstagram.com/belfastcoop
• Xx.com/belfastcoop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/belfastcoop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Belfast Community