New Pi guy
Today I became a member of the New Pioneer Food Co-op. That means I’m one step closer to becoming one of those stereotypical Iowa City progressives/radicals. I prefer “radical.”
New Pi is, according to its website, Iowa City/Coralville’s “provider of top quality foods in a full-line grocery setting.” In other words, it is the place to shop for nutritional, fresh, organic, alternative, and generally good healthy foods — a local answer to Hy-Vee, Iowa’s supermarket giant. It is my new Trader Joe’s, but without the lower chain store prices (which, I will admit, are nice).
It was somewhat ceremonious. I stood in line with one customer in front of me. I didn’t have anything to buy, so the cashier looked puzzled. She asked if I needed to see the manager, and I said I wanted to apply for membership. While she was still serving the woman in front of me, the cashier pulled up the “THIS REGISTER IS CLOSED” sign in preparation for what I thought would be a long and embarrassing process.
It was easy, though. I filled out a couple forms, paid the one-time $60 “share” (it is a member owned co-op, so I am now a part owner along with 20,000 others), was given the store’s monthly newsletter, and received my New Pi membership card. Yes, a California-style club/membership card. Thank you, New Pi. I thought I’d have to remember my member number. (Every other time I shopped there, the cashier always asked for my member number. Though I was always tempted to say something like “Forty,” or “Four twenty,” I was shamefully honest and said I didn’t have one. I couldn’t help thinking the cashiers thought lowly of me, a non-member. They probably loved sticking that 5 percent non-member surcharge up my ass.)
Besides not being fucked by the surcharge anymore, other New Pi membership benefits include: an opportunity to become a “working-member” to earn an extra discount, a 10 percent discount on wellness products every first Tuesday of the month, a chance to join the Co-op Board or a committee, a vote to elect Board leadership, and a warm fuzzy feeling knowing I’m “part of a progressive, local, member-owned business!”
Honestly, though, I have no clue how often I will shop there, at least until winter. Tonight I checked out the farmer’s market at the Sycamore Mall. Though it was not as bountiful as the farmer’s market being held right now in Huntington Beach (and I’m not saying that nostalgically), there was a descent selection and I plan to shop there and at the larger Saturday morning market downtown for my weekly veggies. Most of my fruits, though, will have to be store bought. From what I remember, the only local fruits are apples and various kinds of berries. (I knew I was no longer in SoCal when I saw the selection of oranges at Hy-Vee. They were the most beaten-up, bruised, and smallest oranges I’ve seen in a long time.)
Though it is the hippest alternative grocery store in town, New Pi is not the only place I can load up on good stuff. There’s the Bread Garden Market (or whatever the hell it’s called) downtown next to hotelVetro and a few Asian markets. I’ll have to check them out, but none of them, I’m sure, will be representin’ in my wallet with a membership card.
New Pi is, according to its website, Iowa City/Coralville’s “provider of top quality foods in a full-line grocery setting.” In other words, it is the place to shop for nutritional, fresh, organic, alternative, and generally good healthy foods — a local answer to Hy-Vee, Iowa’s supermarket giant. It is my new Trader Joe’s, but without the lower chain store prices (which, I will admit, are nice).
It was somewhat ceremonious. I stood in line with one customer in front of me. I didn’t have anything to buy, so the cashier looked puzzled. She asked if I needed to see the manager, and I said I wanted to apply for membership. While she was still serving the woman in front of me, the cashier pulled up the “THIS REGISTER IS CLOSED” sign in preparation for what I thought would be a long and embarrassing process.
It was easy, though. I filled out a couple forms, paid the one-time $60 “share” (it is a member owned co-op, so I am now a part owner along with 20,000 others), was given the store’s monthly newsletter, and received my New Pi membership card. Yes, a California-style club/membership card. Thank you, New Pi. I thought I’d have to remember my member number. (Every other time I shopped there, the cashier always asked for my member number. Though I was always tempted to say something like “Forty,” or “Four twenty,” I was shamefully honest and said I didn’t have one. I couldn’t help thinking the cashiers thought lowly of me, a non-member. They probably loved sticking that 5 percent non-member surcharge up my ass.)
Besides not being fucked by the surcharge anymore, other New Pi membership benefits include: an opportunity to become a “working-member” to earn an extra discount, a 10 percent discount on wellness products every first Tuesday of the month, a chance to join the Co-op Board or a committee, a vote to elect Board leadership, and a warm fuzzy feeling knowing I’m “part of a progressive, local, member-owned business!”
Honestly, though, I have no clue how often I will shop there, at least until winter. Tonight I checked out the farmer’s market at the Sycamore Mall. Though it was not as bountiful as the farmer’s market being held right now in Huntington Beach (and I’m not saying that nostalgically), there was a descent selection and I plan to shop there and at the larger Saturday morning market downtown for my weekly veggies. Most of my fruits, though, will have to be store bought. From what I remember, the only local fruits are apples and various kinds of berries. (I knew I was no longer in SoCal when I saw the selection of oranges at Hy-Vee. They were the most beaten-up, bruised, and smallest oranges I’ve seen in a long time.)
Though it is the hippest alternative grocery store in town, New Pi is not the only place I can load up on good stuff. There’s the Bread Garden Market (or whatever the hell it’s called) downtown next to hotelVetro and a few Asian markets. I’ll have to check them out, but none of them, I’m sure, will be representin’ in my wallet with a membership card.
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