CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

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What has changed at the Co-op in response to this new virus...

We are staying on top of the latest updates coming from the CDC/government in order to make sure we are doing our very best to keep our shoppers, our employees, and the community as safe as we can. On this page we will post updates to changes we have made, some of which may affect the shopping experience.

In addition to this listing you may read this blog post by our General Manager, LeAnna.

(content added 3/17/2020 4:40pm)

Please read this special statement regarding some specific changes


Hello Co-op Community,

With all the moving pieces and changes in our lives right now, we wanted to keep you updated. As a grocery store, we are an essential business in this community and we understand that we have a responsibility to remain open for those who rely on us.

Hours

Beginning Wednesday, March 18th and until further notice, we are open to the general public from 11am to 7pm starting. This includes all of produce, grocery, wellness, bulk, grab and go items, as well as made to order food from the cafe.

After many requests and with respect to the immunocompromised in our community, we are going to have special shopping hours from 9am to 11am. During this time, we are asking that employees and customers maintain a 6 ft distance from each other. We are asking for community cooperation in this, so that these hours are for high-risk community members to shop; immunocompromised, caregivers for the immunocompromised and the people in high risk age or health categories. This might be tough to execute, so please be patient with us as we find the best way to navigate this service.

Ordering

We are a small team with limited resources, but we are working diligently to get some kind of online ordering up so that we can cut down on the amount of social exposure for customers and staff alike. Until then, call the store if you have any concerns about coming in so that we can try to assist with a pre-order. This system is imperfect! So please allow us some time to work out best practices as they arise.

Community Co-operation Form

Though we should all be mindful to take care of ourselves at this time, we must also support those in our community who are struggling to access vital resources and supplies. If you need help or are in good health and able to help others, please complete the Community Co-operation Google Form. Examples of help you can request or provide include shopping for and delivering groceries, running other essential errands and making wellness phone calls/offering emotional support. There are endless ways we can support each other in this time of need. Complete the form here: Community Co-operation Form

Thanks

We want to thank our team. In this time of heightened insecurity and anxiety, our team has been patient, flexible and kind to one another. The warm spirit and sense of community at our Co-op is especially important at times like these and we are grateful for the efforts exerted by our staff every day under new circumstances.

We also want to thank our shoppers and our community. Thank you for supporting us even when lines are long or shipments are short. We appreciate your continued support as we navigate suggestions and challenges as they arise.

NOTE: As you may know, we had planned to update our store hours on March 29th. At this time, the change to our new store hours is delayed. It is in our hearts to someday serve you delicious breakfast, at a warmer time in the hopefully not-so-distant future.

Yours in cooperation,

LeAnna Nieratko and the team at Erie Food Co-op

Listing of changes to store operations


11/25/2020
  • New ordinance - We are asking Admin staff who are able to work remotely, to do so whenever possible
  • New ordinance - All staff are required to take their temperature when they arrive before starting their shift, this is logged and signed off on by the employee
6/17/2020
  • The cafe has starting making sandwiches, wraps, and soups under a limited menu. To find out more see the Cafe & Bakery Page
4/20/2020
  • In following the PA order guildelines for essential businesses, we are requiring all employees and customers to wear masks while they're in the store. Please make sure you have a mask with you before you come to shop. If you are unable to wear a mask, you can use our Curbside service to place an order which can be filled same day if ordered between 9am and 3pm and brought out to your car, free of charge.
4/10/2020
  • Contactless payments have been added to our credit card pinpads, if you have set up tap-to-pay on your phone you can now use that payment method at the Co-op.
3/30/2020
  • In an effort to maintain a clean and safe environment for our shoppers and employees, returns will not be accepted until further notice.
3/23/2020
  • Special orders are temporarily suspended until further notice beginning today, March 23rd. If you have already placed a special order, it will be processed. If you have any questions about your order, please call us at (814) 456-0282
3/21/2020
  • The cafe will cease operating MTO beginning tomorrow (3/22/2020) until further notice, we're moving to focusing on the grab n go
3/19/2020
  • The use of reusable containers from home for bulk products has been temporarily suspended, please use new bags and containers
3/18/2020
  • Hours of operation changed:
    • 9am-11am - High Risk shopping hours, we are reserving this time for customers and caretakers who may be immunocompromised, elderly, or have an underlying condition that puts them at a higher risk for infection
    • 11am-7pm - General public shopping hours, please be mindful of your distance between each other in the store and sanitize appropriately
3/16/2020
  • Cafe dining/seating area is closed, the cafe is still preparing ordered food
3/15/2020
  • All classes have been canceled until further notice. Please contact Savanna, our Outreach Coordinator, at 814-456-0282 ext.111 or at outreach@eriefood.coop if this change affects you and you have not already been contacted
  • We will not be serving soup in the open soup wells
  • We will not be preparing juices or smoothies, the area we make them in is not enclosed
  • All baked goods will be packaged in bags
3/12/2020
  • Increasing the frequency and rigor of cleaning and sanitizing the sales floor, back stock areas, and offices.
  • Moving all transactions to our central registers and discontinuing transactions at our cafe counter.
  • Having our cashiers wear gloves and change them frequently
  • Ordering up on high demand items, such as all-purpose cleaners and sanitizers, and non-perishable grocery items like bottled water, beans, pasta, etc. Though certain items are out of stock from our distributors, we will do our best to keep alternatives on the shelves.
  • Suspending our reusable silverware/mug programs
  • Communicating our preparedness plan to staff which addresses their own wellness and potential changes to operations.
  • Ensuring there is plenty of hand sanitizer throughout the store, including our customer service desk, cafe counter, wellness counter and throughout the store.
  • Continuing to provide sanitizing wipes for you to wipe down your cart before you use it. While our employees do their best to wipe down all of our carts, self-wiping adds an extra layer of protection.
  • Extra sanitation throughout the store continues to be emphasized and enforced. We also encourage folks to frequently and diligently employ hand-washing as a means to prevent the spread of any bacteria or germs.
  • 6 foot distance has been marked on the floor throughout the store to help remind/inform shoppers and staff
  • We have suspended all passive sampling.
  • We are telling staff to stay home when they are sick and we will issue no disciplinary action to staff for absences during this time.
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