For press inquiries and permission to take pictures of Mariposa Food Co-op, please contact outreach@mariposa.coop.

In The News

Mariposa Food Co-op thrives in West Philadelphia The Daily Pennsylvanian, (10/7/2012)
The co-op is expected to earn over $3 million in sales by March 2013.

UC Review News Hour- WPEB 88.1 FM Mariposa Food Co-Op Grand Opening Celebration- Saturday! University City Review News Hour, (4/20/2012)
Co-hosts, Nicole Contosta and Bob Christian discuss Grand Opening of Mariposa Food Coop’s new expanded location with Chakka Reeves, the Marketing & Outreach Coordinator at Mariposa.

Congressman Chaka Fattah To Speak At Mariposa Food Co-Op’s Grand Opening, University City Review, (4/11/2012)
Mariposa Food Co-op welcomes Congressman Chaka Fattah and other very special guests to its Grand Opening Ceremonies on Saturday, April 21st at 11am.

Mariposa and Common Market Work to Meet Fresh, Local Food Demand, Plan Philly – Eyes on the Street, (4/5/2012)
West Philly’s Mariposa Food Co-op and the Common Market have grown together to meet the increasing demand for fresh and local food in Philadelphia.

Mariposa Food Co-op is Bigger, Better, Cedar Park Neighbors, (3/28/2012)
As of mid-February, Mariposa Food Co-op had raised $2.5 million. Just as impressive is the fact that $750,000 was raised from individuals — mostly members — and the incredible rate of member participation: 10% (over 100) of co-op members made a loan, 60% increased their member equity and 450 new members joined Mariposa in the past year alone. Countless member hours were committed to supporting the capital campaign.

West Philly Food Co-op Continues to Expand, UPenn’s Daily Pennsylvanian, (3/28/2012)
One food store in West Philadelphia is expanding its selection of sustainable food and customer base.Mariposa Food Co-op moved into a new retail store at 4824 Baltimore Avenue on March 17 from its old space just a block away.

Cedar Park: A New Location Creates Big Impact For Mariposa Co-op, Philadelphia Neighborhoods, (3/19/2012)
The new space for Mariposa Food Co-op is a welcoming option for Cedar Park residents. The store, which originally opened in 1971, moved to its new, spacious location last week and opened to the public on Saturday.

Mariposa Food Co-op New Store Preview, West Philly Local, (3/16/2012)
The construction of Mariposa Food Co-op‘s new store is complete. The new store at 4824 Baltimore Avenue is officially opening this Saturday, March 17 at 10 a.m. Check out this video preview with store manager Bull Gervasi.

Mariposa Food Co-op Wins Preservation Award, Greater Philadelphia Preservation Alliance, (3/1/2012)
Mariposa Food Co-op was one of the winners of the Greater Philadelphia Preservation Alliance’s 2012 Preservation Award for the renovation and adaptive reuse of their new location, the landmark 1923 Belmont Trust Company Building. The Alliance’s Preservation Achievement Awards luncheon will be held on May 8th and is an annual celebration of the individuals, organizations, businesses and projects that exemplify outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation throughout the region.

Mariposa Food Co-op: Expansion Press Release, Mariposa Food Co-op, (2/23/2012)
As of last week, Mariposa Food Co-op has raised $2.5 million. As impressive is the fact that $750,000 was raised from individuals – mostly members – and the incredible rate of member participation.

Newly-Formed Philadelphia Co-op Alliance Shares Knowledge, Generosity Blog, (2/9/2012)
A group of co-op leaders late last year formed the Philadelphia-area Co-op Alliance (PACA). Wednesday night they gathered at Fergie’s Pub in Center City to celebrate a recent high point: in January, Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution acknowledging the social and economic benefits of the cooperatives in the city.

NCGA Welcomes New Member and Associate Co-ops, (2/8/2012)
National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), a business services cooperative for retail food co-ops nationwide, announced today the addition of two new members and three new associate co-ops including Mariposa Food Co-op, bringing affiliate totals to 125 food co-ops with combined annual sales of more than $1.4 billion.

Philadelphia Federal Credit Union Donates to Support Expansion of Mariposa Food Co-op- PFCU Blog (1/23/2012).
PFCU is proud to announce a donation of $5,000 to the expansion of West Philadelphia’s Mariposa Food Co-op. The donation will be used to support Mariposa’s Revolving Equity Fund, a donated pool of capital dedicated to increasing food access in the neighborhood. Mariposa Food Co-op will use the Revolving Equity Fund to subsidize the $200 member capital requirement, offering the benefits of co-op membership to those who cannot otherwise afford it.

Congressman Fattah shows co-ops in Philly—and nationwide—some holiday love Philadelphia Citypaper (12/22/2011)
Local input from Philadelphia has been important in crafting this legislation,” Rep. Fattah told City Paper. “I have been inspired by the success of Mariposa [Food] Co-op in West Philadelphia and Weavers Way as it expands from its Mount Airy base. These are excellent examples of cooperatives done right. They also demonstrate the broader national potential for taking the cooperative movement to scale.

West Philly’s Mariposa Food Co-op Focuses on Outreach Along Baltimore Ave. Philadelphia Weekly (11/30/2011)
What is most impressive about the expansion project is not its cost or its size. It is the larger story of Baltimore Avenue being remade by the people who live and shop there, of neighbors working to fill the voids left in the commercial fabric of the city after decades of neglect and depopulation.

PRESS RELEASE: Mariposa Food Co-op Launches “Revolving Equity Fund”to Increase Low-income Food Access in West Philadelphia, Mariposa Offiical Press Release (11/21/2011)
Mariposa Food Co-op is excited to announce the launch of its “Revolving Equity Fund” campaign. The Co-op is seeking donations to seed the fund, which will offer the benefits of Co-op membership, including ownership rights and discounts, to low-income families and individuals who could not otherwise afford the $200 member investment requirement. The creation of the fund reflects Mariposa’s deep commitment to improving access to fresh food for all residents of its West Philadelphia neighborhood.

The Times Have Been a Changing: Mariposa Food Co-op Work & Lifestyle (November 2011)
…The Cooperative started from a merger of buyer’s clubs in the 60s reacting to a large divestment from the West Philadelphia Community.

Mariposa Co-op Construction Update Gardner/Fox Commercial Construction (11/04/2011)
The Mariposa Coop construction continues with evidence of a new sidewalk ramp and stairs in progress at the front door.

Food co-ops on rise in Philly area philly.com (9/22/2011)
Pam Seida browses the aisle at Mariposa Food Co-op in West Philadelphia, looking for tempeh bacon, which she insists is “yummy.” The space is cramped, but Seida, 44, has shopped here for a decade, since moving from Rosemont. And yes, she is delighted that a new building is under construction just one block away.

Embracing Growth in University City philly.com (9/14/2011)
For years, [Mariposa] had only 200 members… But around 2004, membership exploded to 700 and managers began looking for a larger space.

Demo Underway for Mariposa Food Co-op Gardner/Fox Commercial Construction (9/14/2011)
Mariposa Food Coop hired Gardner/Fox to fit-out their new facility at 4824 Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia.

Sustainable Saturdays in West Philadelphia Concludes with “Preserving the Harvest” University City District (9/1/2011)
Get an inside look at the new Mariposa Food Co-op during renovations. Mariposa has been providing its members access to healthy, locally-grown, and sustainably-produced food for 40 years.

Mariposa launches its Expansion Blog! (7/1/2011)
Check in often (or add the blog to your reader!) to stay up to date on Mariposa construction news.

Merriment at Mariposa’s groundbreaking ceremony, University City Review (6/29/2011)
Over one hundred and fifty people filled the former bank that will soon house Mariposa’s new food market on 4824 Baltimore Avenue at the co-op’s official groundbreaking ceremony Monday, June 27th.

West Philadelphia co-op plans membership drive ahead of fall relocation, WHYY Newsworks (6/28/2011)
The Mariposa Food Co-op hopes to add more than 400 members between now and the fall. That’s when the store will open its new location at 48th Street and Baltimore Avenue.

West Philadelphia Community Grocery Store Moving To Larger Location, KYW Newsradio/CBS Philadelphia (6/28/2011)
A community-owned grocery store in West Philadelphia is gaining some weight. Mariposa Food Co-op has been operating out of a 500-square foot West Philadelphia storefront since the early 1970′s, promoting healthy, locally-grown or otherwise sustainably-produced products.

A Celebration at Mariposa, West Philly Local (6/27/2011)
A memorable scene unfolded on Baltimore Avenue yesterday as Mayor Michael Nutter and folks from the Mariposa Food Co-op stood arm-in-tattooed arm to celebrate the start of renovations to the co-op’s new home.

Co-op updates: Mariposa breaks new ground, South Philly makes progress, City Paper (6/27/2011)
At 3 p.m. today, join the Mariposa Food Co-op, Mayor Michael Nutter and major supporters as they celebrate the kickoff of renovations at the co-op’s new storefront at the Belmont Trust Company Building (4824 Baltimore Ave.). In a testament to the co-op’s investment in the West Philly community, nearly 25 percent of the funds for the $2.3 million renovation were raised by Mariposa members and individual donors.

PRESS RELEASE: Mariposa Food Co-op Kicks Off New Store Construction with Groundbreaking Ceremony June 27th 3pm, Mariposa Offiical Press Release, (6/27/2011)
Today at 3:00 PM, Mariposa Food Co-op celebrates the start of construction on its new grocery store with a groundbreaking ceremony at the new store site: the landmark Belmont Trust Building at 4824 Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia.  Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, representatives of the project’s major supporters, and other honored guests will join the co-op’s membership for the event, which is open to the public.

Mariposa Food Co-op “ground” breaking on Monday, City Paper (6/24/2011)
This may be a bit “hyper local” for some of you, but in West Philly this kind of thing is Big News. Mariposa Food Co-op, a longtime (but) tiny staple of the Baltimore Ave/Cedar Park neighborhood, will begin consruction on its newer, larger facility at 49th and Baltimore next week.

MEDIA ALERT: Mariposa Groundbreaking Ceremony June 27th, 3pm, Mariposa Official Media Alert, (6/20/2011)
Mariposa Food Co-op Groundbreaking Ceremony with honored guests, followed by a celebration reception. The ceremony will commence a $1 million renovation of the site set to be the new Mariposa Food Co-op, a community owned grocery store in West Philadelphia. Mariposa Food Co-op will be thanking officials and organizations who have been involved in securing the funding for this project.

Phila. awarding $2M in funding for small business development, Philadelphia Business Journal (5/26/2010)
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced the award of $2 million in city funding to support small business development Tuesday, including Mariposa Food Co-op.

R5 Productions now matching donations for Mariposa Food Co-op’s expansion, The Key, WXPN Blog (5/24/2011)
Bull Gervasi, Mariposa’s Project Manager, who really inspired us to start R5 and who is pretty much the reason we have shows at The First Unitarian Church, has been helping to run Mariposa Food Co-op in West Philly for years. Now he and all the members there are trying to renovate an old bank building on Baltimore Ave to make the store five times bigger and have a ton of space for more food, community events, roof garden, etc.

The Mariposa Food Co-op Expansion Launches in October, The Feast (5/24/2011)
West Philly’s Mariposa Food Co-op, located at 47th St. and Baltimore Ave., has been bringing locally-grown, sustainable products to the community for 40 years, long before it became a hot-button topic splashed across magazine covers and featured prominently on menus.

Mariposa Food Co-op Outlines New Store and Model, University City Review (5/18/11)
For the past forty years, the Mariposa Co-op has acted as one of the few healthy food alternative for West Philadelphia residents. However, if people wanted to shop there, then they had to become members. Also, due to the storefront’s limited amount of space, membership had reached its full capacity by the mid to late 2000’s. Now the co-op is changing that in it’s expansion.

Own a Grocery Store in West Philly: Here’s How, West Philly Local (4/11/11)
There aren’t too many chances these days to have a say in where you buy your food in West Philly. Actually, there may be only one chance. Mariposa Food Co-op launched a new membership campaign today that will provide that chance. More…

PRESS RELEASE: Mariposa Food Co-op Launches New Store Membership Drive, Mariposa Official Press Release (4/11/11)
Today, Mariposa Food Co-op launched a New Store Membership Drive, encouraging neighbors to sign-up in advance for membership in its new store, opening this fall. The new Mariposa Food Co-op, five times the size of its current space, will be able to accommodate a much larger membership.

Mariposa Food Co-op Expansion Project Continues Apace, Flying Kite (1/25/11)
Back in November 2010, West Philadelphia’s much-loved Mariposa Food Co-op announced that after decades of successfully selling healthy and sustainable food from its tiny storefront at 4726 Baltimore Ave., it would finally be moving to a much larger location that could better handle its quickly growing membership.

Mariposa Co-op: Bust a Move, Grid Magazine (12/8/10)
Mariposa Co-op grew out of buying clubs that flourished in the 1970s. In the early ’80s, several groups merged, opening a storefront at 4726 Baltimore Avenue. The co-op has come a long way since then: currently 1,000 members strong, Mariposa has outgrown its original space. Now, with help from members—and a Community Design Collaborative grant—the co-op has finally secured a new home.

Mariposa Co-op expansion: a few financial hurdles to overcome, University City Review (12/1/10)
For nearly forty years, the Mariposa co-op has given West Philadelphia residents the option of shopping for fresh, natural foods in their own backyards.

West Philly food co-op Mariposa expands, adds sustainability features, Flying Kite (11/9/10)
The property at 4726 Baltimore Avenue in West Philly was made to be a bank. With its stone columns and regal marblework, the building has housed many community banks and even a church over the years.

Mariposa Food Co-op to Expand, Relocate to Landmark Bank Building on Baltimore Avenue, University City Review (11/3/10)
Mariposa Food-Coop announced Monday that it will relocate from its existing storefront to a renovated structure that will provide five times more shopping space and amenities for the West Philadelphia community.

Mariposa Food Co-op Is Moving and Expanding, University City Off the Grid (11/3/10)
With roots dating back to 1970 at its current location, Mariposa Food Co-op is maintaining and expanding upon its West Philadelphia heritage with a new, larger location on Baltimore Ave. Announced last week, Mariposa will be moving to the landmark Belmont Trust Company Building at 4824 Baltimore Ave.

Foodstuffs and Healthstuff, Urban Places and Spaces (11/3/10)
Mariposa Food Co-op announced today that it will relocate from its existing storefront to a renovated structure that will provide five times more shopping space and amenities for the West Philadelphia community.

Mariposa food co-op gets new, bigger digs, Philadelphia Inquirer (11/2/10)
Mariposa, the West Philadelphia food co-op that focuses on food that’s healthy, local and sustainable, has grown so much that it’s moving to a bigger place. By next summer, the co-op plans to be in the landmark Belmont Trust Company Building, former home of Beulah Tabernacle Church. Mariposa has bought the building, which is at 4824 Baltimore Avenue.

Mariposa Food Coop is Getting Bigger, Purposeful Eating (11/1/10)
West Philly’s Mariposa Food Coop has announced that it will be moving down the street to expand to a space five times as big as it’s current location. The proposed plans for the new space is complete with sustainable construction—with bee hives and farming on the roof!

West Philly Food Co-op Expanding in a Big Way, Brownstoner
Meal Ticket reports that “the nearly-40-year-old Mariposa Co-op….is purchasing a building at 4824 Baltimore Avenue that will quintuple the size of their current digs.

West Side Story: Mariposa’s Expansion, Grid Magazine (11/1/10)
Meal Ticket has the scoop on Mariposa’s upcoming expansion—something we’ve had our eyes on for a while. The West Philly co-op decided on a building at 4824 Baltimore Avenue that will quintuple their retail space.

Mariposa Co-op to become Megaposa Co-op, City Paper (10/29/10)
That’s one swell artistic rending of the planned new location for the nearly-40-year-old Marisposa Co-op. According to their website, the 700 members-strong West Philly operation is purchasing a building at 4824 Baltimore Avenue that will quintuple the size of their current digs. More…

Cedar Park: Food Co-op Lets Community Choose What’s on the Shelves, Philadelphia Neighborhoods (9/29/10)
Listen to super staffer, Stevie Kelly, talk all about the co-op in this article and video. “The goal of the co-op is for consumers to take control of what they eat by having a food selection that is relative to their needs and tastes, said education and development coordinator for Mariposa, Esteban Kelly.”

PRESS RELEASE, Mariposa Food Co-op to Expand, Relocate to Landmark Bank Building on Baltimore Avenue, Mariposa Official Press Release, (11/1/10).
Mariposa Food Co-op announced today that it will relocate from its existing storefront to a renovated structure that will provide five times more shopping space and amenities for the West Philadelphia community. After decades in its current location, Mariposa has purchased the landmark Belmont Trust Company Building on Baltimore Ave which most recently served as the home of Beulah Tabernacle Church. Mariposa plans to relocate all of its operations into this new home by next summer.