My interest in local products all started when Cheryl Muñoz from Sugar Beet Food Co-Op in Oak Park spoke to my hospitality class. Cheryl talked about the process of starting the Co-Op and showed us this video about the benefits of supporting the Locavore movement.
Never hearing “Locavore” it immediately sparked my interest. I had to learn more about it and wanted to find a smaller, mom-and-pop shop to buy my groceries. What I found was this hidden, foodie hub, housing hand-picked and carefully sourced products fit for all foodies.
Local selection of cheeses. Always changing based on their vendors. Photo by Caitlin Reynolds
Located off of North Ave near Kennedy Express way (1427 W. Willow St.), Local Foods’ team of experts bring the freshest produce, breads, dry goods, and meats to one central location. Each item reflects the close relationships made between local farmers and store operators. If you are a real food enthusiasts and love to discover what kinds of products fellow foodie entrepreneurs are creating right in your backyards, you have to stop in.
Changing variety of seasonally, carefully selected produce. It is always a fun surprise to see what to choose from and base your dinner menu off of what’s on the shelves. Photo by Caitlin Reynolds.
It’s scary to think about the hundreds of hormones that may be injected into our everyday diets. I know I have seen the abnormally sized produce or non-organic milks that seem to last for half a year at certain grocery store chains. My goal isn’t to scare anyone, especially if you are like me and live on limited funds or have to have that box of double-stuffed Oreos in their cabinets at all times (cough cough..me). What Local Foods and other Co-Op’s, like Sugar Beet, seek to do is get locals connected to the community.
Local Foods offers customers a selection of artfully cut meats from The Butcher & Larder. On the opposite counter you can visit Stock Cafe where freshly baked pastries and seasonal dishes are created by in-house kitchen staff. Photo by Caitlin Reynolds.
We can be intuitive-smart consumer by supporting our local food producers. In the process, we cut the travel time it takes for us to get fresh, chemical-free food as well as we build relationships with our farmers. Get connected to your community, and discover what is local at Local Foods!