Write Us!
We welcome your comments and give each one attention and serious consideration. Send them to customer.comments@willystreet.coop or fill out a Customer Comment form in the Owner Resources area. Each month a small selection is printed in the Reader; publication does not necessarily indicate an endorsement of views stated in a customer’s original comment. Many more comments can be found in the commons or in the binder near Customer Service. Thank you!
Produce Layout
Q: I just wanted to thank you for rearranging the layout of the produce department. As a disabled person, it makes it so much easier to move around. The world isn’t laid out with an eye for those of us with mobility issues. Thank you for making shopping at the Co-op less stressful!
A: Thanks so much for taking the time to provide feedback on the recent layout changes in the produce department at Willy East. It was a long time coming! Our goal with the change was to increase accessibility for everyone and provide a more welcoming environment for people to shop. I’m so happy to hear that it is working better for you! I will pass your kind comments on to the members of the project team! Thanks so much! -Andy Johnston, Produce Category Manager
Tamales
Q: I have not eaten tamales for most of my life but last summer I started buying them from a vendor at the East Side Farmers Market. When the market closed for the season I was pleased to find tamales at the coop. As the winter wore on the quality of the tamales went downhill. The amount of cornmeal increased and the amount of chicken really decreased. I wound up throwing a lot of the cornmeal away. This week I bought tamales at the farmers market again. They cost more than at the coop, but the quality and size are both superior. One of them is ample for my lunch while two coop ones leave me hungry. Perhaps the coop kitchen cannot give the attention to preparation that a small family-run business can. I did want to bring this to your attention.
A: My name is Nicholas, I’m the Prepared Foods & Cheese Category Manager for the Willy Street Co-op. I received your comment about the tamales you bought here. To be clear, our Kitchen doesn’t make these. The tamales are made by Tamalareia El Poblano, a small local family and a long-time vendor for us. They have a great reputation. Here is a link about them from a couple of years ago if you’d like more information: tinyurl.com/3ydh3en4 -Nicholas OConnor, Prepared Foods & Cheese Category Manager
Produce Pricing
Q: When you moved to the new store on Willy St you were selling kale for $1.69 a bunch for about 10 years. I thought that was a very healthy Coop gesture to your customers. Would you consider selling kale for $2.69 for a long extended period of time?
A: Thanks for your comment regarding kale pricing. We’re not able to offer the same pricing on all kale varieties, but green kale is one of our Co+op Basics products and is priced at $2.49 a bunch! Thanks for taking the time to write in, let us know if you have any other questions or suggestions! -Liz Muñoz, Director of Product
Plastic Containers
Q: Thanks so much for once again stocking South River Miso in various flavors. We love trying new dishes that incorporate miso, but had been quite disappointed over the past couple of years to only find miso packed in plastic containers at your stores. We’re not a fan of plastic containers—we’re trying to reduce our use—so we did without the miso. Now we can start using it again and encourage others to do the same.
A: Thank you for sending us your comments. Plastic packaging is pervasive in the grocery industry, so it is always nice to see a brand using glass. Matt, our Dairy Buyer at Willy East, was instrumental in getting South River miso back into distribution for us. All credit goes to him and his work on this. I will make sure to pass your kind words on to him and let him know how much his efforts are appreciate. I am happy you reached out to let us know what you are looking for in our stores. It is super helpful to get feedback, so thank you for taking the time to write us! -Dean Kallas, Grocery Category Manager
Rewards Locations
Q: Please indicate on Owner Rewards fliers whether products are available or unavailable at North, West, and East. Thanks.
A: Thanks for the suggestion! On our Owner Rewards flyers, all products listed are intended to be available at all three stores while supplies last with very few exceptions. When there are exceptions, we list them unless there was an oversight. To my knowledge, we haven’t had such an oversight in many years, but—if you experienced one—I apologize for our error. Brendon Smith, Marketing & Communications Director
Bulk
Q: I was disappointed during the remodel that the Co-op removed bulk products and added more candy products. More bulk products!
A: I owe you some follow up about your recent customer comment. Thank you for taking the time to submit feedback! You had some concerns about the recent changes to the Grocery product selection—the bulk aisle has shrunk and the candy selection has increased. I’m sorry about the disappointment you’re experiencing. I hope I can help make some more sense of things for you. The Co-op has a long-standing history of being known for its Natural Foods selection and generally that means healthier choices. During the pandemic, we saw a lot of changes happening in a short time. We lost a great deal of sales and people’s shopping patterns changed. While we have seen sales grow steadily over time, the Bulk Aisle has just not seen the same return as the rest of the store. You are right that with the recent changes in the bulk aisle we did lose some products, but many offerings were simply consolidated into smaller bins. If you’re looking for something specific—please feel free to ask! We take feedback seriously. I’m glad to share that we do have some healthier choices for candy and snacks and that we are able to feature a lot of local and fair trade vendors as well. I hope that this information is helpful! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Best wishes, Katherine Kornely, Assistant Store Director—East
Gluten Separation
Q: Please (on the hot bar) keep the turkey and gravy separate so those of us who are gluten-free can have the turkey. Thank you! (Plus, the gravy you use doesn’t look appetizing with the turkey) I love the vegan, mushroom gluten free gravy! Yum Yum.
A: Thank you so much for taking the time to write in about the turkey we serve on our hot bar! Unfortunately we have found that when we don’t include some gravy with the roasted turkey that the turkey just gets too dried out under the heat lamps. I will work with our cooks to develop a made without gluten version of the gravy. I’m really glad to hear that you like the gluten free mushroom gravy! Bob Smith, Deli Manager—East
Little Sponges
Q: How about you station little sponges by the plastic produce bags, so people can open the bags without licking their fingers, which is gross.
A: Good afternoon; I am writing in regards to your request to station little sponges by the produce bags. I have on many occasions encouraged people who have a propensity to lick fingers in order to open the bags, to instead use some of the moisture that is on the produce wet rack section. The produce staff sprays down the veggies every 30-45 minutes; and just a little bit of moisture helps with opening the plastic bags (especially the compostable bags, which I myself find especially trying when attempting to open). I will facilitate some sort of signage for customers, to encourage them to do this practice, around the produce department. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention, and I hope this solves a little bit of the “ick” factor when seeing people licking their fingers to open the bags. Hope you have a great day. Jorge Espinoza, Produce Manager—East
Scones
Q: Please please please bring back the lemon rosemary scone. They were the best of the scone selection.
A: I received your Customer Comment about the lemon rosemary scones. I have good news, we’re not discontinuing them, we’re only rotating our menu temporarily, and the lemon rosemary will return again in a few months. Hope this is a relief, thanks for writing! Nicholas OConnor, Prepared Foods & Cheese Category Manager
Cleaning Procedures
Q: Refrigerator/freezer door handles, serving utensil handles, and buttons on debit card checkout devices seem like good candidates to spread contagious disease. Does the co-op have policy guidance in place for how often such items are cleaned?
A: Thanks for reaching out. We do have procedures in place to ensure high contact surfaces are cleaned and disinfected regularly. Each department has guidelines specific to the high touch surfaces in their area. Additionally, we have a custodial staff who help keep these surfaces clean. Best, Jenny Skowronek, Store Director—North
