Marquette Food Co-op May Expand to Third Street

The Latest from Marquette, MI by Brian Cabell

“IT’S NOT A done deal but I like our chances to do it.” The words of Marquette Food Co-op general manager Matt Gougeon commenting on plans to locate another, smaller Co-op in leased space at the new Third Street Marketplace (the former Valle’s). The development is now under construction.

The Co-op’s Board of Directors is scheduled to vote on the project at its Board meeting next month. They have until December 31st to sign the lease.

The new store, if it’s approved, would provide 2,000 square feet of retail space. By comparison, the current store is 9,000 square feet. The new store, which Gougeon describes as sort of a “co-op convenience store,” would sell basic groceries, produce, and grab-and-go items… No beer, and no wine, out of respect for the other stores, bars and breweries on Third Street.

BACKGROUND: BEFORE VALLE’S closed down its store three years ago, the owner asked Gougeon if the Food Co-op might be interested in buying the building. An intriguing possibility, but at the time it seemed like too much store, too much cost, too much uncertainty. The Co-op said No.

Then when restaurateur Joe Constance bought the closed-down store last year with plans to convert it to the Third Street Marketplace, he approached Gougeon about taking over part of the space…. Again, the Co-op considered it, but then the pandemic intervened. Again, uncertainty, so…No.

If the Board does give the go-ahead for a second Co-op, it’s not clear when the store might open… Supply chain problems: For instance, new shelving units are on 54 week back-orders, and freezers are six months behind. The Co-op would want to open as quickly as possible, but they wouldn’t want to do it half-assed.

THE BAKERY—ANOTHER of the Co-op’s projects. Which means there’s a lot on their plate… It recently bought the Marquette Baking Company (next to the Children's Museum) and is now baking goods there, but is not open for retail yet. Gougeon expects that to happen next spring.

THE NEIGHBORHOOD--THE Co-op expansion plans, of course, would be great news for the folks who live around Third Street because they’ve been left without a grocery store since Valle’s closed down in 2018… No, the “Co-op convenience store” wouldn’t be a full-service grocery, but you gotta believe it would offer better and fresher foods than the average convenience store.

BOTTOM LINE, THIRD Street Marketplace, an ambitious project, is truly taking shape. Cognition Brewing Company occupying half the space, the Marquette Food Co-op taking another large hunk of it (if the Board approves), Peace Pie Company and Boulanger’s (a restaurant providing service to Cognition customers) taking two smaller spaces…and then there are the two food trucks out in the parking lot… And if Constance gets his wish, they’ll have live music outside during the summer.

Best guess: Cognition, Boulanger’s and Peace Pie opening by spring of next year… And the Co-op (if approved), much later next year.

We gotta wait, but all of this is good news for Third Street and Marquette.

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