What Green Top Grocery does

Green Top Grocery is a community-owned cooperative grocery store operating a single retail storefront at 921 E. Washington St. in Bloomington, Illinois, serving the Bloomington-Normal market in central Illinois. The store offers a full-line grocery assortment organized across departments including produce, grocery staples, deli and prepared foods, beer/wine/liquor, cheese, dairy, wellness, and bulk goods, with a deliberate emphasis on local producers (40+ suppliers within a 100-mile radius) and organic selections. It opened in May 2017 following incorporation in 2012, a 2013 feasibility study, a national-record $1.3 million owner loan campaign in 2016, and groundbreaking at The Foundry development in July 2016. The cooperative has grown to over 2,500 owner-members.

The business makes money primarily through retail grocery and prepared-foods transactions (a $5.99 lunch deal, deli soups and grab-and-go items, beer/wine/liquor, and catering services), with ancillary revenue from a Teaching Kitchen rental program ($35/hour for non-owners; 3 free hours/month for owners) and one-time ownership share purchases ($200 per member, 2-5 shares at $100 each). Owners receive economic benefits — quarterly appreciation-day discounts of 10-20%, case pricing, free teaching-kitchen hours, loyalty points, and class discounts — and participate in democratic governance through an elected 9-member Board of Directors serving rotating 3-year terms. The store's only third-party technology integration disclosed is Stripe for online ownership payment processing, and no e-commerce or delivery channel is operated; distribution is exclusively through the physical storefront open 8am-8pm daily.

Beyond retail, Green Top runs community programs including LINK Match (the only grocery store in Bloomington-Normal offering SNAP/EBT produce-match incentives, funded via Link Up Illinois), Co-op Explorers (free fruit for kids 12 and under, sponsored by Illinois Prairie Community Foundation and BNWRD), reciprocal benefits with other cooperatives, and a Round-Up at the Register program that funds LINK Match. The cooperative's go-to-market is community-led: marketing channels are email/text signup, website content, community events, owner-only events, and word-of-mouth, with acquisition driven by the owner-share model rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Green Top Grocery

Legal name

Green Top Grocery Cooperative

Website

https://greentopgrocery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Green Top Grocery is a community-owned cooperative grocery store in Bloomington, Illinois, serving the Bloomington-Normal market with organic and local-produce-focused groceries, deli, prepared foods, catering, and a Teaching Kitchen, supported by 2,500+ owner-members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community-Owned Cooperative Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (445110)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli (CRAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural/Organic Supermarkets & Chains (CRAHAEAA), Organic Produce & Farm Market Retail (CRAHAEAD), Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores (CRAHALAB)

Keywords

• Cooperative grocery retail
• Organic food store
• Local produce sourcing
• Community-owned grocery
• Prepared foods deli

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: Core revenue from selling groceries including produce, grocery items, dairy, cheese, wellness products, bulk items, and more. Operates as a full-service grocery store with focus on local and organic selections.
2. Deli Prepared Foods: Revenue from in-house made soups, sandwiches, salads, entrees, sides, desserts, and catering services. Features grab-and-go items and daily soup offerings.
3. Beer, Wine & Liquor Sales: Alcoholic beverage department featuring 18 feet of wine selection and craft beer. Focus on organic, natural, sustainably produced, and vegan wine options.
4. Owner Share Purchases: One-time ownership shares at $200 (2-5 shares at $100 each). Provides equity capital for store operations and builds community ownership.
5. Teaching Kitchen Rental: Rental revenue from teaching kitchen bookings. $35/hour for general use, with free hours for owners (3 hours/month). Additional fees for event services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Green Top Grocery is a community-owned cooperative grocery store operating a single retail location in Bloomington, Illinois, selling fresh produce, dairy, grocery staples, deli and prepared foods, beer/wine/liquor, wellness and bulk goods sourced from local farmers and producers within a 100-mile radius. The store is complemented by an in-house deli, catering services, a rentable Teaching Kitchen, the Co-op Explorers children's program, and the LINK Match nutrition incentive program for SNAP recipients.

Product overview

Green Top Grocery is a community-owned cooperative grocery store operating as a single-location retail business in Bloomington, IL since May 2017. The co-op offers a comprehensive range of grocery departments including Produce, Grocery, Deli, Beer/Wine/Liquor, Cheese, Dairy, Wellness, and Bulk goods. Beyond retail operations, the co-op provides supplementary services including a Teaching Kitchen rental facility, in-house deli and catering services, a Co-op Explorers kids program, and a LINK Match nutrition incentive program for SNAP recipients. The co-op operates an ownership/membership program with over 2,500 owners that provides financial benefits including discounts and case pricing, democratic participation rights, and access to exclusive events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grocery Retail Operations Full-service grocery store offering fresh produce, grocery staples, deli items, prepared foods, beer/wine/liquor, cheese, dairy, wellness products, and bulk goods across multiple departments. Open to all shoppers at the Bloomington retail location, with extra benefits for owner-members.
• Deli and Prepared Foods In-house deli offering signature sandwiches, daily soups, salads, entrees, sides, desserts, and grab-and-go items made from scratch using local and organic ingredients whenever possible, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
• Catering Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 locally produced products from local producers within 100 miles
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Foundry DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen Top Grocery is located at 921 E. Washington St. as part of The Foundry development. Groundbreaking celebrated in July 2016.
• Link Up IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLINK Match nutrition incentive program is funded through Link Up Illinois initiative. This program provides $1 voucher for fresh fruits and vegetables for every $1 spent on food items using EBT card (up to $10/day).
• Round-Up at the Register ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerContributions made by shoppers through Round-Up at the Register Program help fund the LINK Match program, creating community participation in supporting food access.
• Illinois Prairie Community FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGenerous sponsor of the Co-op Explorers children's program, which provides free fruit to kids 12 and under per visit.
• Bloomington Normal Water Reclamation District (BNWRD)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGenerous sponsor of the Co-op Explorers children's program, which provides free fruit to kids 12 and under per visit.
• Other Cooperatives (Reciprocal Benefits)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen Top offers reciprocal benefits to owners of other cooperatives when traveling. Owners are encouraged to shop at co-ops in other communities and mention their Green Top ownership for reciprocal benefits.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seward Co-op: Seward Co-op is a community-owned natural foods grocery in Minneapolis with prepared foods, deli, and a focus on local sourcing. Its cooperative governance and full-service grocery format make it a comparable Midwest co-op peer.
• Willy Street Co-op: Willy Street Co-op operates multiple Madison, Wisconsin locations as a consumer-owned natural foods co-op with deli, prepared foods, and a deep local-producer program. It illustrates the growth path from a single co-op store to a multi-location regional co-op operator.
• PCC Community Markets: PCC is a large consumer-owned natural foods co-op in the Seattle area with multiple locations, a focus on organic and local sourcing, and an owner-membership model with voting rights. It is the most scaled example of the same community-owned natural grocery model Green Top operates, making it a strong direct peer for benchmark and growth-pathway comparison.
• The Wedge Co-op: The Wedge is a Minneapolis-based consumer-owned natural foods co-op with a large store footprint, deli, and well-developed local-producer network. It represents a more mature example of the same operating model.
• Bloomingfoods: Bloomingfoods is a community-owned natural foods co-op in Bloomington, Indiana, operating multiple stores with a deli, bakery, and local-producer focus. It is a near-identical operating model in a similarly-sized college-town market, making it one of the most directly comparable peers.
• New Pioneer Food Co-op: New Pioneer is an Iowa City-based consumer-owned natural foods co-op with full-service grocery, deli, and a strong local-producer program. Its Midwest geography, single-organization co-op structure, and community-ownership model closely parallel Green Top.
• Wheatsfield Food Cooperative: Wheatsfield is a single-location community-owned food co-op in Ames, Iowa, operating a full-service grocery with a strong local-producer focus and owner governance. Its size, geography (Midwest college town), and co-op structure closely mirror Green Top's operating profile.

Broad incumbents

• Hy-Vee: Hy-Vee is a large Midwest employee-owned grocery chain with significant presence in Illinois, including Bloomington-Normal. It competes directly on full-service grocery, prepared foods, and increasingly on local/organic offerings, and is the most relevant large-format local competitor.
• Natural Grocers: Natural Grocers is a publicly traded specialty natural and organic grocery chain with stores across multiple U.S. states. While not a co-op, it competes in the same natural/organic specialty grocery space with similar product mix and customer demographics, serving as a broader-incumbent benchmark.
• Fresh Thyme Market: Fresh Thyme is a Midwest-based natural and organic-focused grocery chain with locations across Illinois. It targets the same health-conscious shopper segment as Green Top with a broader-format, lower-priced model, representing the most direct chain-grocer competitive threat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GreenTopGrocery
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreenTopGrocery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/green-top-grocery

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 Green Top Grocery