Food Front Cooperative Grocery’s board president said “economic headwinds and COVID-19” were the causes for the financial state of the store. This is a store with healthy and organic goods many Northwest Portland residents crave. It started out catering exclusively to vegetarians. It carried no meat and few ingredients containing sugar and preservatives. But now Food Front Cooperative Grocery is in dire straits.
Directors of the Food Front Cooperative Grocery in Northwest Portland told co-op members that its dismal finances is the cause to shutter the store. There is other information that has come out concerning the store closing. Workers represented by The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 put the blame on management for not informing members sooner.
Food Front opened in 1972. Its original location was Northwest 23rd Avenue. It moved a couple of times then stuck arou d at to 2375 N.W. Thurman St – its currentlocation. It also had a second location in Southwest Portland’s Hillsdale neighborhood which opened in 2008. It closed in 2019 over financial issues.
The decision for Food Front to close was told to co-op members by the store’s board. The co-op laid off a third of its staff earlier this month. Directors there said there was not enough cash on hand to restock the inventory on its shelves.
According to a letter, Food Front’s general manager has resigned. That was followed by the board deciding to collectively step down once a new board is in place. “This decision has been incredibly difficult and a long time coming,” the board wrote. “All of us on the Board are part of this community and we will continue to do what we can to support Food Front in its path forward.”
