About Wedge Community Co-ops
Wedge Community Co-ops are your community-owned grocery stores, serving the Twin Cities. We believe in the power of sourcing delicious, locally grown food in our region and amplifying farmers, artisans, and makers.
The Wedge is fueled by one core belief: By supporting local agriculture and locally made products, we can empower positive change—for our people, our communities, and our greater planet.
From freshly grown Minnesota produce to intentionally crafted body care products, The Wedge cultivates a nourishing collection of products for every shopper. Step into our store and experience the joy of eating well, living well and being one with your greater community.
Mission
Building community by developing a strong local food system.
Vision
Wedge Community Co-ops pioneers change, transforming how our food system works to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. We offer an environment that matches the diversity of our community–where everyone feels welcome.
Beliefs
Good food starts with good ingredients. Whether you’re an aspiring home cook or a veteran of the kitchen, we believe in the power of high-quality, locally sourced ingredients for a nourishing meal. We take pride in partnering with the most committed, dedicated, and innovative farmers, growers, and artisans in our region.
Local is always best. From sourcing food and products made with care and intention to partnering with local makers, we bring all our favorite findings to your local Wedge Community Co-op shelf.
Co-op is community. The Wedge—and other community cooperatives—exist because we share a vision for sustainable food and eating. Thanks to the dedicated owners who invest in our dream, The Wedge serves as a vibrant and thriving staple in the fabric of our community.
We’ve grown from humble roots
In 2017, the Wedge and Linden Hills Co-op came together in an historic, cooperative consolidation to form one business. Each of our stores and Co-op Partners Warehouse maintains its unique neighborhood vibe while now sharing the Wedge Community Co-ops brand.
Wedge Lyndale
In 1974, a small group of community members decided it was time for the Whittier neighborhood to have access to affordable, organic, whole foods without a drive or bus ride. The Wedge became more than a dream in a backyard meeting, just a few blocks from the current Wedge Lyndale store. The day the Wedge opened its doors, buckets of fresh produce spilled out onto the sidewalks to make room for the lines in the small storefront.
The co-op’s first location was the tiny space of a garden apartment at 715 Franklin Avenue, and since then the Wedge has been growing (and outgrowing) its spaces. The co-op has moved two additional times and expanded three times.
Wedge Linden Hills
Linden Hills Co-op began in 1976 with $387 in the bank and a passionate group of volunteers who had a vision for how a co-op could build community. Over the next decade, the store would continue to outgrow its space, seek community contributions to support its growth and provide member benefits in return for volunteer hours.
With larger space and higher sales in the mid-1990s, the co-op was able to turn its focus to supporting a community that helped it grow from humble beginnings. The green patch program, introduced in 1996, rewarded members for bringing their own bags by giving them the option to donate 5 cents for each reused bag to a local environmental charity. In 1999, the co-op introduced a carnival as a fundraiser for Joyce Food Shelf.
In 2005, the co-op opened a second branch of its business–Linden Hills Natural Home. The store had a variety of natural home needs from gardening tools to cleaning supplies. At one point, the store also sold electric cars!
In 2010, the co-op moved to its current location on Sunnyside Avenue.
Co-op Partners Warehouse
Co-op Partners Warehouse (CPW) is certified as an organic distributor by the USDA-accredited certification agency MOSA (Midwest Organic Services Association) and is a distributor of organic produce, dairy, soy, and juice servicing retail co-ops, natural food stores, and restaurants in the Upper Midwest. They purchase food from farmers, manufacturers, brokers, other wholesale distributors, and individuals making product. Truck loads are received into the warehouse, inspected and housed in one of 5 temperature-controlled zones. On any given day, you will find 200-250 organic produce items stocked in the St. Paul warehouse. CPW also carries organic milk, cheese, and yogurt; soy products, fresh juices and smoothies; and a selection of dry grocery items. Partnering with local processors and the National Co-op Grocer’s Association has allowed CPW to carry a line of signature products such as frozen cookie dough, deli salads, and chili. All products are marketed and sold to locations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, and the Dakotas.
