Nourishing and Protecting Our Community

We know it’s been a difficult week – you may be feeling like your life has changed overnight in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In these uncertain times, grocery stores like KCFC are more important than ever to ensure our community has access to safe, quality food.

First, the Basics

Hygiene has always been an important part of our operations, and we have boosted our efforts to make the Co-op the safest place possible to shop during the pandemic.

• Hand sanitizer is available at the entrance of the store for everyone to use when entering and exiting KCFC and as they shop.
• We are proactively wiping down all shared surfaces, including carts and baskets, countertops, and registers.
• Our bathrooms are kept extra clean. They have always used antibacterial soap, and are now being cleaned even more frequently – with particular attention to surfaces touched by the hand.
• All KCFC employees have been properly trained to exercise appropriate hygiene techniques. Staff are instructed not to come to work if they feel unwell or believe they may be an exposure risk.
• We continue to monitor the recommendations of CDC, WHO, local government officials, and trusted news outlets to further adapt as more information becomes available.

New Policy and Changes

In order to meet our commitments to both nourish and protect the KCFC community, we are enforcing new policies to maintain public health effective immediately.

• The café will be closed to prevent the to limit exposure and spread sitting in community seating, share glasses and food. This means we will be pausing the sale of draft beer and kombucha. To-go beer will still be available, just ask any KCFC staff member for assistance.
• Coffee will now be poured by staff members only, reducing the number of hands touching coffee service equipment. Coffee will now be poured on the grocery side, in one-time use cups, until the Café reopens.
• Customers are prohibited from bringing in travel mugs and reusable bulk containers from home to reduce contamination exposure.
• All events and group meetings are canceled until further notice.

Ways You Can Help

Fighting the pandemic takes a community-wide approach. We also encourage KCFC shoppers to help prevent the spread of infection by.

• Using hand sanitizer when entering and exiting the Co-op and as you shop
• Thoroughly washing hands often and avoid touching your face
• Avoid touching goods you do not intend to purchase
• Maintaining safe distance between other shoppers, taking turns when shopping the same aisles and coolers
• Staying home if you are feeling ill, have an elevated health risk factor, or fear you may have been exposed to the virus

Navigating This Together

COVID-19 is unlike anything our member-owners, our suppliers, our country, our world have experienced before. In the coming weeks and months, we ask for your patience and understanding with inevitable disruptions to the availability (and delivery) of our usual products and services. For our part, we are committed to maintaining a high-quality grocery experience and to minimizing challenges in a swift and responsible manner.

A Community Responsibility

We are a small business, and in earnest—one that was already facing many challenges. With this pandemic, we are staring into an uncertain future.

Now more than ever — with the looming threat of COVID-19 to jeopardize the very existence of our store — we all must band together to protect the Co-op, our staff, our shoppers, and the network of local farmers and food producers who share our ideals and priorities.

We believe that in moments like these, it’s the power of being a cooperative that can unite us. With your help, we can prevail and continue serving you, your family, and our community at-large for years to come.

If you have any questions, please email our general manager, Mike Richards, at [email protected] or call us at (215) 515-7887.