Many New Haveners have to travel outside the city to purchase groceries; many other local residents, lacking the means to travel outside the city, must go without key staples and affordable fresh healthy food. New Haven is a food town to the core. Yet the city that invented the hamburger, perfected the pizza, and boasts the densest downtown in Connecticut currently has no full-service grocery store. In late 2009 a group of property owners and concerned citizens came together to fix this problem. We have been working tirelessly to develop an independent, member-owned grocery store that will serve the unique needs of New Haven. As a hybrid co-op that provides local, natural, organic, and conventional products and groceries, Elm City Market will reflect the needs of the community in a way that no national chain could in order to provide the sustenance that New Haven needs now. Everyone, both members and non-members alike, will be welcome to shop at the market. However, as a food co-op, we can’t exist without our members. By joining us today, you’ll be able to play a critical role in the development of New Haven’s food co-op.