West Chester's first grocery store in decades cut the ribbon the first week of October, capping an 11-year effort to bring locally sourced food to downtown.

More than 100 member-owners and supporters packed the West Chester Food Cooperative at 204 W. Market St. for the grand opening ceremony, the Daily Local News reported. The store had been serving customers since a soft opening Aug. 20.

The co-op sells mostly locally sourced milk, bread, meat and vegetables. It is open to everyone, not just members, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

"We believed, we persisted, we built it, we did it," board member Judy Carrino told the crowd. "… For 11 years it just kept on going."

A group of West Chester residents formed the cooperative in 2015, seeking a local alternative to chain grocery options. The effort hit 500 member-owners by 2022, according to the co-op's website. The group signed a lease for the Market Street space in 2025, submitted building permits to the borough Dec. 16, 2025, and started construction Feb. 5.

The projected cost was $1.8 million, according to an August 2025 capital campaign. More than 70 member-owners, local lenders and the Chester County Economic Development Council backed the fundraising push.

At the grand opening, Bridget Palombo of The Food Trust announced a $75,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (PA FFFI), a state program overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The program provides grants ranging from $5,000 to $200,000 to food businesses that expand access to healthy, affordable food.

Store Team Leader Issa Ostrander, a 25-year veteran of food marketing who previously co-owned a popsicle business in Kennett Square, oversees 11 part-time employees and one full-time employee. He told the crowd the space started as "an empty shell" and called it "the community store."

The store took 11 years to build.

Volunteer Sue Patterson, member No. 8 since 2015, stocks shelves and prices items. She likened the long effort to a distance race: "I thought it might be a half marathon but it turned out to be a long one."

The co-op now counts 868 members and is accepting new ones. New members can sign up at westchester.coop.