Davis Food Co-op
Davis Food Co-op is a community-owned cooperative grocery store in Davis, CA, operating a 17,000 sq ft full-service retail location owned by 8,000+ member households, sourcing from 400+ local producers and serving local residents and UC Davis students since 1972.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersDavis, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Davis Food Co-op does
Davis Food Co-op is a community-owned cooperative grocery store operating a single 17,000 square foot retail location at 620 G Street in Davis, California. Founded in 1972 by 10 Davis households and UC Davis students as a buying club, the co-op formalized its first storefront in 1976 and incorporated as Davis Food Co-op, Inc. in 1978-1981. Today the store is cooperatively owned by more than 8,000 member-households, with each membership carrying one vote in board elections regardless of equity contribution; members pay a $10 initial share purchase plus $5 activation fee and $20 annual payments up to $300 total equity, and are eligible for patronage refunds when allocated by the Board. The co-op has no external investors, parent company, subsidiaries, or disclosed funding rounds.
The co-op's product offering is a full-service grocery assortment spanning produce, bulk goods, dairy, deli (currently closed for remodel), Café & Bakery (under remodel), a butcher counter closing at 8pm, a beer and wine department featuring the largest craft beer selection in Davis, a meat and seafood department sourcing per Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch standards, and prepared foods including Mermaid Sushi (in-store since 2002). Revenue is generated primarily through point-of-sale retail transactions and supplemented by membership fees and in-store food service. The co-op partners with more than 400 local producers, prioritizing beginning farmers, micro-farms, and urban farmers. The Community Discount Program offers 10% off most purchases to UC Davis students, individuals earning below 2.5x the Federal Poverty Level, and enrollees in SNAP, WIC, EBT, Medi-Cal, and similar programs.
Distribution is exclusively through the single physical storefront plus Curbside Pickup and WebCart online ordering (storebyweb.com). The co-op is open 364 days per year from 7am to 10pm and is the only grocery store in Yolo County owned by the community. Technology footprint is minimal and explicitly described as "not applicable - traditional retail grocery co-op without significant technology components"; there is no mobile app, no API, no proprietary technology products, and no AI/ML capabilities. Marketing operates through the weekly Fresh Zine email newsletter, social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), blog content, in-store farm signage, and community events. No revenue, headcount, or financial figures are publicly disclosed.
Davis Food Co-op firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Davis Food Co-op
- Legal name
- Davis Food Co-op
- Website
- https://davisfood.coop
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Davis Food Co-op is a community-owned cooperative grocery store in Davis, CA, operating a 17,000 sq ft full-service retail location owned by 8,000+ member households, sourcing from 400+ local producers and serving local residents and UC Davis students since 1972.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Davis Food Co-op industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Grocery Retail
- NAICS
- Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Meat Retailers (445240)
- SIC
- Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Food Stores (5400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Member-Owned Food Cooperatives (CRAHALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery (CRAHALAH), Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli (CRAHALAF)
Keywords
Where Davis Food Co-op is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Davis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Davis Food Co-op business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Retail Grocery Sales: Core revenue from selling groceries through physical storefront including produce, dairy, bulk goods, deli items, sushi, beer and wine. Full-service grocery carrying everything from limes to laundry detergent. Revenue generated through point-of-sale transactions with customers.
- Membership Fees: Revenue from member investments - initial $10 share purchase plus $5 activation fee, then $20 annual payments until $300 total equity reached. While investment shares are fully redeemable, the membership model generates ongoing revenue and customer loyalty.
- In-Store Food Service: Revenue from prepared foods including Mermaid Sushi (delivered fresh daily 10:30-11:00am), grab-n-go items, deli items, and catering orders. Mermaid Sushi provides made-to-order and grab-n-go sushi options with menu items ranging from $4.99-$15.99.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Community Discount Program - 10% off for eligible members |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Membership Investment - Share ownership |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mermaid Sushi Menu Pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Davis Food Co-op product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Davis Food Co-op operates a community-owned 17,000 sq ft full-service grocery store in downtown Davis, CA, selling fresh, local, and responsibly sourced foods including produce, dairy, bulk goods, deli items, Mermaid Sushi, craft beer and wine, and sustainably sourced meat and seafood. The co-op is owned by 8,000+ member households and partners with 400+ local producers to emphasize farm-to-fork products.
Product overview
Davis Food Co-op is a community-owned grocery cooperative operating as a single unified retail brand. The core offering is the full-service 17,000 sq ft grocery store, complemented by integrated in-store services including Mermaid Sushi restaurant, a Beer and Wine Department with craft beer and local wines, a Meat/Seafood Department with sustainable sourcing standards, and a Deli/Kitchen (currently under remodel). Additional value-added services include Curbside Pickup, Charcuterie Boards for catering, the Fresh Zine weekly deals publication, and an online Recipe Collection. The cooperative also offers a Membership/Ownership Program providing member benefits, a Community Discount Program for eligible members, and a Local Farms Partnership sourcing from over 400 local producers. Online shopping is available through WebCart. The product portfolio is unified under the co-op brand, with Mermaid Sushi operating as a distinctive in-store restaurant concept.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mermaid Sushi: An in-store sushi restaurant operated within Davis Food Co-op, offering fresh and sustainable sushi rolls and Japanese appetizers. Founded in 2000 by Alex Linn, with a second location opened at Davis Food Co-op in 2002.
Products and services
- Davis Food Co-op Grocery Store A community-owned, full-service grocery cooperative operating since 1972, serving Davis, CA with fresh, local, and high-quality goods in a 17,000 sq ft store open 364 days a year, owned by 8,000+ local households.
- Mermaid Sushi (in-store restaurant) In-store sushi restaurant offering fresh, sustainably sourced sushi rolls, nigiri combos, and vegan options delivered fresh daily 10:30-11:00am, with catering and special orders available.
- Curbside Pickup Contactless shopping service allowing customers to order online and pick up groceries at the store without leaving their vehicle.
- Charcuterie Boards (Catering) Catering service offering custom charcuterie boards for events, available for online ordering.
- Fresh Zine Weekly Deals Publication Weekly sales and deals publication featuring the Co+op Deals program with over 1,400 items on sale, including fresh items, grocery, frozen, dairy, shelf stable, and wellness products.
- Community Discount Program 10% discount program on most grocery purchases for eligible member-owners who are college students, have annual income below specified thresholds, or are enrolled in government assistance programs.
- Membership/Ownership Program Cooperatively owned membership program requiring $10 initial investment plus $5 activation fee, with $20 annual payments until $300 total equity; benefits include member-only events, 20% off Owner Extras, patronage refunds, voting rights, and rewards program.
- Beer and Wine Department Specialty department featuring the largest selection of craft beer, local and limited-edition wines, and spirits with custom six-pack mixing options, in-store demos, and focus on local vendors.
- Local Farms Partnership Program Program partnering with over 400 local farms and growers to source fresh, organic produce, featuring in-store signage that highlights farm origins and stories.
Quantifiable outcome
- 221% increase in SNAP/WIC/EBT usage since 2018
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Davis Food Co-op
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Davis Food Co-op technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Davis Food Co-op partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Mermaid SushicoreMermaid Sushi operates an in-store-to-go restaurant at Davis Food Co-op. Founded in 2000 by Alex Linn with a focus on higher quality and more sustainable sushi. First location was in Harvest Market, Fort Bragg. A previous DFC General Manager discovered Mermaid Sushi and worked with Alex to open their second in-store location in 2002 at Davis Food Co-op. Sushi is made fresh daily with sustainably sourced crab, salmon, and tuna, natural ginger (no saccharin), and natural wasabi (no artificial colorants). In 2025, voted best sushi in Davis by local influencers. Currently delivering fresh sushi daily 10:30-11:00am during the Davis Food Co-op deli remodel.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Davis Food Co-op competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Trader Joe's: National specialty grocer with 500+ stores including a Davis-area location. Competes directly with Davis Food Co-op for value-oriented grocery shoppers with strong private-label assortment, though without the local-producer or cooperative positioning.
- New Seasons Market: Regional specialty/natural grocer with ~20 stores in the Pacific Northwest. Competes with Davis Food Co-op for natural/organic shoppers with local-producer emphasis, but operates as an employee/employee-owned (not customer-member) multi-store chain.
- New Leaf Community Markets: Six-store independent natural foods grocer on California's Central Coast, until recently a customer-owned B Corp. Directly comparable local-producer and natural-organic positioning to Davis Food Co-op, with larger multi-store footprint.
- Whole Foods Market: National natural/organic grocery chain owned by Amazon, operating more than 500 stores globally. Competes with Davis Food Co-op for natural/organic shoppers in Northern California, with vastly superior digital ordering, delivery, and assortment scale.
- Natural Grocers: Public specialty natural/organic grocer with 170+ stores across the western US. Overlaps with Davis Food Co-op in natural/organic assortment and produce focus, but operates a corporate (not cooperative) multi-store retail model at much larger scale.
Direct peers
- PCC Community Markets: The largest community-owned food co-op in the US, operating ~15 stores in the Seattle area. Directly comparable to Davis Food Co-op on consumer-owned cooperative model, local/organic sourcing emphasis, and member-equity structure.
- Wheatsville Food Co-op: Community-owned natural foods co-op with two stores in Austin, TX. Directly comparable on member-owned grocery co-op model, local sourcing, and prepared-food/deli offerings in a college-adjacent market.
- Berkeley Bowl: Two-store independent specialty grocer in Berkeley, CA renowned for produce depth and local-organic assortment. Comparable to Davis Food Co-op on independent specialty grocery model, produce focus, and Bay Area/Northern California customer overlap.
- Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op: Member-owned natural foods co-op operating two stores in the Sacramento region. Closest direct geographic peer to Davis Food Co-op, sharing the same cooperative governance model and emphasis on local farms within the same Northern California market.
Others
- Co+op \| Stronger Together (National Co-op Grocers): Cooperative wholesale and services organization supporting 150+ US food co-ops. Davis Food Co-op participates in Co+op Deals and similar shared programming, making this a direct ecosystem peer rather than a customer-facing competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Davis Food Co-op social profiles
Digital presenceDavis Food Co-op financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Davis Food Co-op leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Davis Food Co-op funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Davis Food Co-op M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Davis Food Co-op
What does Davis Food Co-op do?
Davis Food Co-op operates a community-owned 17,000 sq ft full-service grocery store in downtown Davis, CA, selling fresh, local, and responsibly sourced foods including produce, dairy, bulk goods, deli items, Mermaid Sushi, craft beer and wine, and sustainably sourced meat and seafood. The co-op is owned by 8,000+ member households and partners with 400+ local producers to emphasize farm-to-fork products.
Is Davis Food Co-op a public or private company?
Davis Food Co-op is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Davis Food Co-op founded?
Davis Food Co-op was founded in 1972.
Where is Davis Food Co-op based?
Davis Food Co-op is headquartered in Davis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Davis Food Co-op make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Retail Grocery Sales are the primary driver. The others are membership Fees and in-Store Food Service.
Who are Davis Food Co-op's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Trader Joe's, New Seasons Market, New Leaf Community Markets, Whole Foods Market and Natural Grocers. Direct peers are PCC Community Markets, Wheatsville Food Co-op, Berkeley Bowl and Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. Co+op \| Stronger Together (National Co-op Grocers) is listed as an others.
Does Davis Food Co-op have an API?
No public API is recorded for Davis Food Co-op.
What industry is Davis Food Co-op in?
Davis Food Co-op's product category is Community Grocery Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHALAA, Member-Owned Food Cooperatives, with a secondary code of CRAHALAH, Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery. Its NAICS code is 44529 and its SIC code is 5411.