Big River Grocery will be a full-service grocery store located in downtown Helena, Arkansas.

Co-ops are as unique as the neighborhoods and communities in which they operate.  The common factor is that they are all cooperatively owned and operated.  In this model, a number of essential community needs can be met through a cooperative.

A food co-op is a grocery store owned and operated by its members—local residents, workers, and supporters who invest in and help govern the store. Unlike traditional grocery chains, a co-op puts community needs first. Members have a voice in decisions, and profits are reinvested locally or shared among members, strengthening the community from within.  Food co-ops are established by members to ensure that access to products that benefit the community are provided, where other market models may not choose to serve the location.  With an emphasis on access to fresh and healthy food and an ambition to utilize locally- and regionally-grown and sourced items, Big River Grocery will introduce a fresh concept that benefits the neighborhoods of downtown Helena.

Creating a co-op involves a process of organizing and building– and there’s a playbook!  Informed by a proven development model and guided by our partners at Columinate, Big River Grocery is actively pursuing a pathway to stand up the framework for the store. 

Members of a food cooperative, like Big River Grocery, are the owner-members of the grocery store. They invest in and help govern the store by paying an equity investment to join. As owners, members have a voice in decisions, including voting rights for the board of directors and major decisions, ensuring the co-op operates to meet their common needs.

An equity investment is the primary way individuals become member-owners of a food cooperative, where they contribute capital to the store and in return gain a direct voice and voting rights in its democratic governance. Unlike the membership fees charged by big-box warehouse stores like Costco, which primarily grant shopping privileges without ownership or control, a co-op's equity investment provides a true stake in the business. This investment is typically a one-time payment to join, although some co-ops may offer payment plans to make participation more accessible. This member-owner capital forms the financial backbone of the co-op, providing essential funds for startup and operations, and ensuring the store is directly shaped by and benefits its community.