Fredericksburg Food Co-op

What Fredericksburg Food Co-op does

Fredericksburg Food Co-op is a member-owned grocery cooperative operating a single retail storefront at 320 Emancipation Hwy, Fredericksburg, Virginia, open daily 7 AM–9 PM. The co-op sells groceries, natural and organic foods, locally sourced produce, and household products, with an emphasis on local farmers and producers (including named vendors such as Snead's Asparagus Farm, Earth Echo Farm, Blenheim Organic Gardens, and Walnut Hollow Naturals). It accepts SNAP/EBT and Virginia SUN Bucks and partners with Virginia Fresh Match to double produce benefits for low-income shoppers. The co-op's core products are its physical retail grocery assortment and a small set of supporting programs: the Food for All produce-matching program, a Co+op Deals weekly flyer, a Gift Ownership program, and a Vendor Partnership Program.

The business model is multi-stream but community-anchored. Revenue is generated primarily through retail grocery transactions, supplemented by $200 lifetime owner-membership investments and a member-loan program offering interest up to 6% on loans of $2,000 or more. The co-op was capitalized pre-opening with $1.7 million in member loans and a historic $1.4 million SBA-guaranteed loan from National Cooperative Bank (April 2020) — the first SBA loan issued to a food co-op in the program's history. It is also affiliated with National Co+op Grocers (NCG), which provides collective buying power.

The go-to-market is community-led and direct-to-consumer: member recruitment, in-store events, cooking classes, vendor days, and the annual Food for All 5k fundraiser drive awareness and membership growth. There is no proprietary technology platform, no app, no API, and no online storefront — the operation is a single physical retail location with associated content marketing (website, blog, newsletter, and social media on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube). Leadership comprises a General Manager (Chris Roland, the first full-time employee), a Marketing Coordinator (Kirstin Spanu), and small staff totaling 6 employees. The co-op is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors operating under a Policy Governance Board model.

Name

Fredericksburg Food Co-op

Legal name

Fredericksburg Food Cooperative

Website

https://fxbgfood.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fredericksburg Food Co-op is a member-owned grocery cooperative operating a single retail storefront in Fredericksburg, Virginia, selling organic, natural, and locally sourced foods to community shoppers, local farmers/producers, and SNAP/EBT recipients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community-Owned Natural and Organic Grocery Retail

NAICS

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

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Member-Owned Food Cooperatives (CRAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores (CRAHALAB), Farm-to-Consumer Cooperative Markets (Local Producer Co-ops) (CRAHALAG)

Keywords

• Community-owned grocery
• Natural and organic foods
• Cooperative retail store
• Local produce sourcing
• SNAP EBT produce matching

Headquarters

HQ city

Fredericksburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: The co-op generates revenue through retail sales of groceries, natural foods, organic products, and household items at its physical storefront location.
2. Owner Membership Investments: Households, businesses, and other entities can purchase lifetime memberships for a single payment of $200. These owner equity investments help fund the co-op's operations and expansion.
3. Member Loans: The co-op sought member loans as part of their capital campaign, offering interest up to 6% depending on amount invested. Seeking loans of $2,000 and up.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fredericksburg Food Co-op operates a single community-owned grocery store at 320 Emancipation Hwy in Fredericksburg, Virginia, selling locally sourced, natural, and organic foods alongside conventional groceries and household products. It supplements retail with a Community Co-op Cash (Food for All) program that doubles SNAP/EBT and SUN Bucks value on produce, weekly Co+op Deals promotions, and a lifetime owner-membership model ($200 one-time payment).

Product overview

The Fredericksburg Food Co-op operates as a single community-owned grocery store offering a focused portfolio of products and programs. The core offering is the physical grocery store at 320 Emancipation Hwy, Fredericksburg VA, which provides locally sourced, organic, and natural foods alongside household products. Supporting this are the Food for All Program (which doubles SNAP/EBT and SUN Bucks benefits on produce), the Co+op Deals weekly flyer program, a Gift Ownership program for purchasing co-op memberships, and a Vendor Partnership Program enabling local producers to sell goods in-store. All offerings are integrated through the single co-op brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Member loans offered up to 6% interest
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Co+op Grocers (NCG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe co-op gained membership in National Co+op Grocers, which provides national buying power while maintaining local focus. This allows the co-op to offer more value to members, shoppers, and the community through collective purchasing.
• Virginia Fresh MatchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership that doubles the value of SUN Bucks and SNAP/EBT on fruits and vegetables. Offers a 50% discount on produce and 20% cashback in 'Carrot Cash' for SNAP purchases, making nutritious foods more affordable and supporting local farmers.
• Downtown GreensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit community greenspace that helps the co-op with food waste composting at events. Downtown Greens maintains 2.8 acres of urban gardens and promotes environmental stewardship through sustainable gardening methods.
• CDS Consulting Co-opminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-op consultant Ben Sandel provided guidance on member loans, explaining the win-win benefits of member lending programs for co-ops.
• Fredericksburg Regional Climate, Environment and Resilience (CLEAR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal climate and environment group that has partnered with the co-op on discussions about composting and sustainability initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Honest Weight Food Co-op: Member-owned grocery co-op in Albany, NY. Closely comparable in co-op ownership structure, organic and local sourcing focus, and community programming approach.
• Good Food Good People: Member-owned community grocery co-op in Roanoke, VA. Closest Virginia peer with a near-identical member-owned cooperative structure, local-producer emphasis, and small-staff operating footprint.
• GreenStar Cooperative Market: Member-owned natural foods co-op in Ithaca, NY. Comparable in community ownership, organic/local assortment, and educational programming orientation.
• Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op: Member-owned community food co-op in the Mid-Atlantic region serving a similarly sized suburban market with a focus on local, organic, and natural foods — directly comparable in operating model, product mix, and community-governance structure.
• Ellwood Thompson's Local Food Market: Community-focused natural and local foods store in Richmond, VA. Comparable as a Virginia-based grocery emphasizing local producers, organic assortment, and sustainability — operates in the same regional market with similar positioning.
• Seward's Co-op: Community-owned grocery co-op in Minneapolis with a single-store legacy footprint. Directly comparable member-owned model, NCG affiliation, and emphasis on local and natural foods.
• Lexington Co-op Markets: Community-owned grocery co-op operating multiple stores in Buffalo, NY. Comparable in member-owned structure, NCG affiliation, and local-organic merchandising; useful as a peer that has successfully scaled beyond a single location.
• Davis Food Co-op: Member-owned grocery co-op in Davis, CA. Closely comparable community-owned grocery model with strong local-producer program and NCG affiliation.
• Wheatsfield Cooperative: Member-owned grocery co-op in Ames, IA. Directly comparable as a small-format, community-owned cooperative grocery emphasizing local producers and natural foods.

Broad incumbents

• Wegmans Food Markets: Large regional grocery chain with a strong presence in the Fredericksburg/Virginia market. Comparable as a competing grocery operator in the same geography with much broader assortment and pricing power — illustrates the competitive backdrop for the co-op.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FXBGFoodCoop
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4UrYgMWxSaJ9eWAAIUX2Bw
• Facebookfacebook.com/fxbgfoodcoop
• Instagraminstagram.com/fredericksburgfoodcoop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fredericksburg-food-co-op

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Fredericksburg Food Co-op