Durham Co-op Market

LOVE this place. Organic Natural Clean ✨️ so easy for me to shop here. The meaning behind this place is so purposeful. I have a membership and I don't like shopping anywhere else. I always come here first when I do my shopping.

The co-op is one of the most important places in Durham. Everything is always fresh and the prepared foods are delicious.

Amazing customer service! The co-op was willing to stay open a little later for me on July 4 when I called ahead. Not only were they accommodating me but other last-minute shoppers by staying open a bit past their scheduled closing time. On a holiday! That was just so thoughtful to help us out when the employees really did not have to. They also did it again today when I pulled in right as they were closing, and they were so kind about it! Thank you so much, Durham Food Co-op, for your outstanding service. While not expected, I appreciate you all doing me favors not just once, but twice within 3 days. Thank you!!!!

Favorite place to shop for fruit, veg, and some other products. Service is great and it's usually much quieter and less chaotic than HT or WF. They have a reputation for being expensive, but I think that's because people might not look closely at all their products. Fruit and veg prices are good (or excellent if you consider that their produce quality is generally higher than nearby stores), a number of other products are competitive or priced lower than nearby stores, and some products (most meat, packaged, and canned goods) are usually higher, sometimes significantly, but sometimes lower! Membership is not required to receive sale prices 🎉 They allow you to bring your own container for bulk foods. You can tare it at the register or at home.

An interesting little place tucked away on the West end of downtown Durham. The grocery portion has unique items that are interesting to window shop. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The only drawback I noticed was that while ordering a salad, there were house flies. buzzing everywhere! The food area had lids on everything so it seems that they were not contaminating the food, but while the extremely nice employee was making the food, it was tough to keep them away from it.

Wow! This place is amazing and i love that everything here is local. Such a friendly staff. The produce section is awesome. We had to stop to get sushi for my daughter. They also offer MTO menu. Nice parking and outdoor seating area. Loved it!

Love this place. It’s great that it’s located in a community of color and accepts snap. And the hot honey fried chicken sandwich rock. They also sell various Delta-9 spritzers and have a good beer and wine selection.

Don’t miss this one, all kinds of fantastic foods. Good prepared foods selection both hot and cold for lunch on the go. The produce is always excellent, good coffee/tea, nice places to sit and eat inside and outside. Parking can be tight, but i always find a place to park.

Love this place! Hardly ever shop anywhere else. They don't have the variety of a big grocery store but they generally have at least one option for everything that I need.

I'll admit I like the feel of the store, and the employees are nice. I enjoy walking around in the store. I've been there twice so far though and I just end up walking out with almost nothing because the prices are too high. Yesterday I bought an andouille sausage and a dozen eggs and paid $14. I want to like smaller stores like this but if I'm going to pay extra to not go through a chain I will probably go to farmer's markets.

We really enjoyed the selection here. We were able to find lots of local items. Specifically, We found local eggs that were way better quality for the same price as the worst quality eggs at the local big box stores--which is so important right now with the crazy prices. My only complaint would be how cramped the store is. I imagine it doesnt feel that bad if you go during the week when it isn't as busy but I felt a little claustrophobic there on a busy weekend day.

You can easily miss this store if you're not familiar with the area. I've driven past it often but happened to stop by during a walk. It's a cute little urban market with a lot of locally sourced items. I found some of my favorite local coffee beans there, which I've always purchased from a coffee shop. They have a lot of internationally sourced brands and items, which quite surprised me. Overall, the customer service was okay. No one helped me and the cashier was not too friendly. He didn't even say a word to me. No thanks.

I came here almost every day during a week long visit to Durham. This is a short walk from my relative's home and between the free coffee daily for owners in March and her Durham local card, we were getting free coffees every day. What a treat! Works out for the Coop, too, because we bought something else every time. I am now obsessed with Deli Rye from Loaf and it was great to grab our second of the week hear after the farmers market was sold out. We've gotten everything from produce to snacks to vegan cream cheese and it's been good prices and super convenient. Only bummer is that it opens at 10am during the pandemic, and an hour early for seniors three days a week. Lovely local pastries and other items available, cute and unusual Easter items, vegan meats, and lots more. Staff have all been super friendly and masked. Traffic in the aisles is one way which promotes better social distancing. Lots of outdoor seating space of you're short on Vitamin D from a winter spent up North.

I'm unsure why the hate on Yelp re: this place but it's the easiest place in Durham to eat lunch and not feel rushed. They have a wonderful outdoor eating area where you can sit in the sun or the shade. A wide variety of food to choose from which ranges from pretty overpriced to pretty fairly priced. They have a $5 lunch special which hasn't let me down yet, and it's offered in a vegan version as well. It's true that sometimes the people who work there aren't over-friendly but they do their job. I'm not looking to make friends or chit-chat, I'm there to pay for my lunch and eat. Update: They removed their salad bar and moved their hot food to another spot. I don't like this as the fresh fruit offering is basically gone. It also took away the themed lunches they had at the hot bar. I find the flies inside during the warmer months are abundant and gross.

I like the concept of co-ops but it can also limit the options and pricing. This place is far from our home in South Durham so we don't come that often. We were in the neighborhood and stopped in to see if they had a few items on our grocery list. Yeah, prices are pretty high but the quality of the items is high. They used to have more dining options but it looks like COVID has limited that some. I appreciate that they carry local products but this place is not on our regular list of grocery stores.

I went for their Thursday $3 dinner, and was pleasantly surprised! There is a "self serve" bar to build the dinner for that week. I went when it was BBQ (they have a vegan option too) with sides of chips and cole slaw. You can't beat the quantity and quality for a price of $3+tax. It wasn't a gourmet meal and it wasn't anything comparable to say Q-shack's BBQ, but for $3, it beats McDonald's. Before you line up though, make sure you purchase a token at the cashier to deposit when you get to the front of the line for food. There are several tables inside to eat at. You can also eat outside, although note that there are quite a few pesky flies that like to land on your food.

Not only are the selections too notch, but so is the service. There are true angels working there! My car broke down and the staff rallied around to help me. I truly appreciate their kindness and hospitality. A special shout out to Jordan for going the extra mile to help out a stranger!

The cashiers provide friendly and quality service. Beer/Wine representatives are great. I haven't purchased from the deli, but they are very helpful. The problem I've encountered was with two individuals. I enjoyed the service and soup, until I encountered an older white male who served me "slop" soup. I've done tours and ate soup before/after being under fire that tasted better. After one spoonful, I brought it back the next day and was met with disrespect by not only him, but his younger manager as well. No refund, no replacement, no quality in service compared to the price I paid. I've tried to reach out to the general manager, no response. The only reason I left a two star review is because prior to this experience, the younger gentleman provided hospitable service, as well as the rest of the staff. I'm a veteran, immigrant and a now public servant, helping many North Carolinians throughout the pandemic. If you've read this review in its entirety, thank you for your time. Support their staff and avoid those two.

I love the Co-Op! I have been for grocery shopping (and bath and body type shopping) and found the variety to be pretty good. I also have enjoyed a wrap and drink for lunch. The kombucha selection is great, the local produce is lovely, and I also enjoy their bulk bins. One of my favorite things, however, if their $3 Thursday night dinner. The first time I went there was a pasta and sauce meal with a side salad. Always a regular option and a vegan option. The second time I went there was a delicious kale stew and cornbread. I have eaten inside during colder weather (very crowded!), and outside during warm weather (lots of flies, but still very nice because of the live music!). It's very family friendly, and there are even plenty of people with dogs. The Co-Op is a wonderful addition to this neighborhood, and I enjoy each and every trip I make there.

This review is regarding the hot bar/lunch specials only. As a grocery store, it's your typical small co-op and it's just fine. The problem is the food they serve and where it falls on the edible scale. The discount meals on Thursday have one resounding merit and that is that they are cheap. They are not well prepared, well seasoned, particularly healthy, or kept at a proper temperature. They are worth 3$, but barely. Last week I decided to give the lunch special a try. I ordered the vegetarian lo-mein described as "noodles with stir fried vegetables tossed in a light sesame sauce". What I got was a pile of spaghetti drenched in soy sauce. There was a solitary piece of overcooked broccoli, 3 snap peas that dissolved when touched, and a sad mushroom. I paid extra to add some spinach from the salad bar. It was abysmal. The spinach was the best part. Service ranges from great to terrible - which at least provides an element of unpredictability, and offers a reprieve from the inevitable disappointment that is your meal.

I have tried this place three times now, hoping that the bad experience was just a fluke, but no. Each time has been worse than before. I'm not talking about the prices (which are high) or the selection (which is just ok) . No, I'm talking about the staff, the customer service. I come in with a smile, and a nod, hoping against hope that I will be treated with at least a hair of decency. The staff are grumpy and rude. They talk to each other and seemingly purposefully ignore you at the register. I have been to many Co-op markets in many states across the country, and I belong to one in my hometown, so I am well aware of how to shop at one. The bulk section at the Durham one is silly: half the spices don't have PLU codes. Once I went up to the register with my tea, and told them that there was no code, and they kept insisting that there was and I just didn't know where to look. They made me go back to check. Finally they went back, only to discover that yes, indeed, there was no code. But no apology or anything. In fact they gave me a rather nasty attitude, despite my attempts to be friendly. I left shaking and feeling sick over the hostile attitudes shown. I don't know what's wrong with this place, but they need some new employees, and a serious smudge cleanse.

I would like to shop at the Co-op more frequently because the selection, notably the beer aisle, produce, spices and cheeses, are exceptional and unique among area grocery stores. Unfortunately, the cashiers are horrible. The check-out experience is a nightmare. After 5 or so visits in the last year, I have observed that the cashiers are consistently rude, uninformed, inattentive and constantly talking to each other as though no one else is in the store. I don't think I've ever experienced anything else quite like that in terms of poor customer service. So, the co-op is unique in that way as well, but in this case to the detriment of their customers. Regrettably, I'll continue to shop here only as necessary.

I don't get it...I was asking around for a place where I could get fresh local produce from farms in the area and surrounding area and some suggested this place? For one, their produce is from all over the country. Second, the produce does not look good. Not a great selection nor is it the freshest (which may be a result of the prices not being too great either). Their apples were soft and yet still smelled like nothing or plastic. Their blueberries looked good...the ones they got from California. The veggies looked alright but nothing was really popping out at me for being something you dont find everywhere else or looking super fresh and delicious. I am not sure what the draw is for this place. Maybe its the hot food (which I didn't try) or the events they host. Either way this seems more like a place you would shop either purely out of convenience or because it is part of your identity. You know, people who like to shop at "the co-op" because its the food-consumption equivalent to always saying "namaste". Look, I could be wrong. Maybe I am being short sighted or maybe I "just don't get it". But I can say for sure that it is not predominantly local produce, the prices are high to normal, and the selection is adequate to not so much. That much I do know.

Went to the Co-op for a quick lunch while traveling. It was around 1:30pm and the deli bar wasn't that busy. Ordered quickly and they will speciality make your sandwich. My friend wanted to sample the tuna salad before ordering and they obliged. Good customer service in a reasonable about of wait time. Sandwiches are made to order and they have delicious gluten-free bread. Even better - everything is local!

I'm obsessed with this place. We live in Durham a few times a year because of surgeries at Duke University Hospital. When you are vegetarian or vegan or holistic or any form of crunchy for know how difficult it is to find things you can eat. I eat here, shop here and hang out here. When we have friends come to visit, this is one of the spots we go. I like that they have a hot breakfast bar, the cafe offerings don't change from the times I've been there but it has a familiar comfort to it and I know it's going to taste great! Highly Recommended

Dear Durham Co-op, if you keep providing a delightful assortment of vegan dishes at the hot bar on Monday evenings, I will keep coming on Mondays. Last night, I enjoyed the vegan lasagna for my main course and had to splurge on the pineapple cobbler (made with Earth Balance!!) for dessert. The lasagna was excellent and well worth the money as lasagna is pretty labor intensive and requires a hot oven. The pineapple cobbler was so good that although I tried to save half of my portion for later, I just couldn't do it. I had to inhale it all as soon as the first bite passed my lips. It was pretty quiet at the store when I showed up at 5:30PM on a Monday night. So vegetarians and vegans, listen up: please patronize the hot bar on Mondays between 4pm and 8pm so this can still be a thing a few months from now. Live on, Meatless Mondays!

I really enjoyed the Durham Co-Op Market. I went in there looking for a specific soap which I found and I was happy that I got it (its Nailah's Shea) if you haven't tried it you should. Nevertheless, the store was well organized and everything was easy to find. The bathrooms are gender neutral and clean. The workers were all very pleasant and the lady who works in Wellness was extremely nice and very knowledgeable about all of the products. The parking is great. You can either park along the street or they have a parking lot. They also have food and picnic tables outside for nicer days to enjoy lunch or a snack. Overall I am thankful for the store they have local items and just seem to be a great wholesome store. I'll definitely be back.

I love the co-op. The Monday night plant-based hot meals have been especially amazing recently: it's an excellent variety of flavors and makes for a really balanced and satisfying meal. Good bulk options, good wine and beer selection. The $3 dinner is an amazing deal and usually has a DJ and a good crowd eating together at the picnic tables outside. I'm glad we're part owners, and every month we get an owner gift, recently that included re-usable mesh produce bags which I've been happy to use both for produce and for bulk items. Prices are reasonable, and especially reasonable on some basic staples. I appreciate the friendly staff, too and it feels like an establishment that's really part of the community.

My mother, her boyfriend, and i visit here frequently for Thursday night dinners! We love the soups! Good portion sizes, friendly atmosphere, lots of college students go; and they have music on the grass. Atmosphere: Casual Noise level: Moderate Bike parking: Yes Indoor seating: Limited (they are remodeling) Outdoor seating: Lots (best to come when its sunny, but people still eat outside when its rainy) Prices: Decent offering lots of local brands like Dnardy's cheesecakes and Ice Cream from "The Parlor" as well as local produce and meats. Helpful information: Meatless Mondays, 3$ dinner Thursdays (purchase your coins ahead of time to avoid the line and get your drinks hours ahead depending on the day. Busiest days are soup days, and hot dog or sausage days.) They also have samples for wine on certain days but check Facebook for that. 3$ dinner is usually Vegan friendly as well they offer meat options and meatless.

Very nice, has everything you need. I would like to find out more about the Owner's Program and if it's available to the general public, but all I was asked at check out was if I was an owner, I said no and that was it. I plan to return though. There are a lot of products that I would like to try out, and they're more affordable here than at other grocers in the area. I enjoyed a wine tasting with cheese during my visit, and found out about the beer tastings, with the offer of a meal for $3 while you're there. I'm excited to visit and try a new beer along witha good, filling, affordable meal. The loss of a star was due to the complete lack of certain products, namely any type of bagel on the day that I visited. But as I said, I'll be back!

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon and while other coops are over flooded with people leaving you without a spot to sit and enjoy the weather the Durham coop is nestled quietly in a cute neighborhood in Durham with no lines and plenty of space to enjoy time with your family. I got the twins (3) 1 prepared meal (grapes, chicken salad, crackers, and cubed cheese), a salad, 2 milks pints, and a sparkling water for 10.52$ not a bad meal for an adult and 2 kids. Those are fast food prices people! On Saturday they have 3$ dinner nights and it changes every week. The selection is small but the atmosphere is great. Happy to be spending such a lovely Unrushed afternoon out giving the kiddos a healthy and cheap meal.

If they had the Meatless Monday hot bar every day this would be an easy five-star review. Meatless Mondays really are something to behold. It's one of the best vegan spreads I have enjoyed. Mondays are an occasion in Durham thanks to the co-op. I also like that they sell Mediterranean Deli hummus and Spread "Cheeze." Spread is 30 cents cheaper than Whole Foods!

I love the idea of local food market. Not only the existence of such market brings fresh daily veggies and fruits to local communities and customers, but also reduce the unnecessary transportation fees, which is part of the reason of high veggies and fruits. I think thats why Durham coop wants to the build up this market for local communities. But what baffles me most is that the price is compatible with whole food's. Although it advertises that they support local business and brings lots of local brands, coffees, products and beers in this market, I only found a few during my visit. As for the price things, this is not only a rank against Durham Co-op but more of a general complains against recent revive of local market. The price is high, and I do not think the local market actually decrease the barriers for people to access fresh fruits and veggies. On the contrary, it reiterates the hierarchy in this society that rich people gain the best access of food in our society. This message is bad and I am disappointed that Durham Coop market did not take a step to against such trend, but choose to follow the trend. If only focus on the products, this place is a heaven for organic fanatics, vegan and vegetarians. I found multiple coconut products, as well as vegan choices in the market.

I really want to like and support this place, but their customer service is so poor it makes it really hard! I've had numerous experiences where I and another customer are both standing at the register (on opposite sides) while both cashiers are having a personal conversation and ignoring the customers - and this isn't a 15 second thing, it's minutes! It's so uncomfortable and frustrating. Today I ran in to get a breakfast sandwich before work, on the way in I noted three employees smoking/talking by the dumpster, one employee having a loud personal phone call outside the front entrance, and two employees standing around chatting in the wine section. I grabbed a sandwich and went to make the purchase, one lane was "open" with two customers already in line, but no cashier to be seen. Eventually, the person who was outside having the personal phone call walked in and started checking out the first customer without saying anything - no apology, no "thanks for waiting", nothing - and moving at a glacial pace. I went and put the sandwich back and left. This is just a fresh example of an experience I have had on maybe 60% of visits here. It's a super convenient location and the prices don't bother me, but I end up going to corporate hell hole Whole Foods because at least they train their employees to offer a positive service.

I love a co-op, and this place just was not at all what I had hoped for. If you're looking for local produce, you're better off going to a farm stand or market. I was super excited to check this place out after having been to an amazing co-op in NH, but it fell so short on my expectations. The amount of local commodities was so limited that it felt pretty pointless to be there at all - I'd rather just go to a regular grocery store and know that I can get everything I need and maybe hit a farm stand too

Their sourdough bread is the best, I believe from Weaver Street market in Carborro. For truly local veggies try Kings Red and White market on Roxboro street in Durham. I do love the co-op but cannot vouch where their fruits and veggies are sourced.

I'm writing this review based on the hot-bar/food they offer. Went in yesterday for lunch and was pretty excited bc I had never been before. I was just a bit disappointment. I thought they were going to have more variety, but there weren't too many options. Their salad bar also had the toppings cut really awkwardly and largely, so it was hard to put what I wanted in the small bowl. I grabbed one of their toasts and asked for it to be on sourdough (since they give you the option to pick your bread) and the bread tasted really old and not like sourdough at all. I was just let down by my lunch experience bc I expected a bit more. Overall, I like the store, but probably won't be returning for lunch.

Update: they no longer sell the Levin JCC Chocolate Babka Large Loaves -- they only sell the Cinnamon Babka Mini Loaves (~$6). If you are searching for the Chocolate Babka or Challah breads, you have to go pick them up from the Levin Jewish Community Center to get them on Thursdays or Fridays.

I love visiting different Co-ops and seeing the unique options that each offers. As such, I was excited to realize that Durham has a Co-op. The Durham Co-op Market has what you might expect from a Co-op grocery... the standard selections that I have seen in most around the area. It also has an unexpected (and unpleasant) addition: Flies. Lots and lots of flies. While the selections in both the hot bar and the bakery area of the market looked appealing, any chance of purchasing anything was negated by the population of flies that call the Co-op home. They were perched on most of the food on the hot bar and even INSIDE of the bakery shelves (which are housed behind glass doors). I realize that flies can sometimes enter into a grocery store due to the nature of automatic sliding doors opening all day, but the fly population here was not normal. Maybe this was a really abnormal day for the market. Either way, I hope they can find the flies a new home soon. : (

Very good selection of bulk items and unpackaged fruits and veggies. On Thursdays they do a $3 dinner on their hot bar to make quality food accessible for all people. Really like this store and if I move to this area I'll be a regular. Prices are readable for a store of this type/size.

Fresh produce, fair prices on ethically-sourced foods, helpful staff. Best of all, I know my money is staying in my community, not lining millionaires' pockets!

I'll make this quick: this place is NOT a co-op. Owning shares (we actually bought the more expensive founding member shares before it was even built) gives you NO advantage. Weaver Street and other co-ops have things like 'member price' and 'nonmember price' on everything. Not Durham CoOp. They have next to no original products; they simply act as a middleman for other local businesses (w a hefty markup in many cases). Selection is small considering how awesome they promised to be. To top it off, the checkout people are just downright rude 75% of the time. Like worse than WalMart rude. I kick myself for investing in this "co-op" every time i drive by. skip this place and. go straight to the local businesses who's products this place has... co-opted :)

The Durham Co-op market is one of my favorite places to grab a quick but healthy meal. I love that there are always several vegetable options plus a really fresh and full salad bar. I don't do my regular grocery shopping here, as many staples for us are pricier here than at other grocery stores, however their produce is generally fresh and not too pricey. I do really like that they have a good variety of dairy alternatives, including vegan ice cream from The Parlour. I'm not sure we'll renew our "owner" membership this next year, as we don't end up shopping here often enough to make it at all worth the fee.

They don't do much well here, but service is the exception. If you want a larger variety of local options go to any other grocery store, even the farmers market has more options for local produce or meat. Prices, as you might expect, are higher than the chain stores. What you get for the price is a warm and fuzzy feeling like you donated to a local group supporting a living wage, not much else.

The lunch hot bar is abysmal these days. New cook? They've been shucking the same four dishes for weeks. They're really not that good to keep recycling. Salad bar is old and sad. Will stop going there, but disappointed to lose this lunch spot bc it's so much more low-key than Whole Foods.

I've been a member of the co-op for the last two years, and this community space continues to get better and better. You can pick up local, fresh produce; earth-friendly household products; and delectable treats in the deli. I'm a big fan of the vegan breakfast sandwich that is both filling and affordable. The $3 dinners on Thursdays are a ridiculously good deal (be prepared for the line!). The staff are helpful and kind. If you're looking for a new wine or cheese, you can learn from the experts. You can find a nice variety of sandwiches and smoothies as well as premade sides from Weaver Street. Plenty of parking and indoor/outdoor seating!

No comment except the Covid rules not enforced on those that know the staff. Others are asked to leave.

I was rudely told to leave because I was not wearing a mask. I have been vaccinated and Governor lifted the mask law. Whole Foods is a better choice for me.

I really can't describe the new Durham Co-op Market without throwing out the WF (Whole Foods) word. Walking up to the new co-op, I realized something about my lovely city of Durham for the first time, we're turning into the Boulder of Colorado and the Portland of Oregon. Durham is becoming dirty hip, we're moving up folks! The co-op is clean, modern with straight lines and an inviting building. It has huge windows that let in sunlight and tall ceilings (unlike Whole Foods). More contract to WF are the wide aisles, and while the store size is on par with a WF, the selection is much more sparse. Like WF, the co-op has a to-go bar, pre-made boxed food and drinks and juices to grab. However, it's just on a much smaller scale. The selection of groceries again is comparable to a Whole Foods in that they have many of the same products; however, the difference is that while WF has six types of yogurts, co-op has three. Or while WF has three types of corn flour, co-op has one (however, they have a LOT of that one item in stock on the shelves). The large ceilings, wide aisles and bright eating area with natural sunlight make the co-op an incredibly inviting store. I would rank the prices on track or even sometimes higher then a Whole Foods (which is one of the most expensive grocery stores around). I happily walked away with a pound of organic coffee on sale for $9.99/pound and a six-pack of Big Boss' War Hawk for $10.69 (you should know, I was at Big Boss two weeks ago, and they've all out of War Hawk, a seasonal beer, sold at the brewery for $9.99). The staff was friendly when I asked questions and quick to give suggestions and input; although the wine/beer manager recommended Fullsteam's Cackalacky for Moscow Mules--curious now if that's a good idea. I noticed more then one person on the phone specifically saying "I'm grocery shopping at the new Co-op Market" instead of just saying "I'm grocery shopping", that's how you know this place is a big deal. Overall, I really enjoy the feel and vibe of Durham's new Co-op Market, and it will certainly be interesting to see how it changes the surrounding (somewhat sketchy) neighborhood. Although I won't be rushing back to make it my regular grocery store, if I'm passing through I'll peruse it now and again, and it's conveniently located on the bus line!

LOVE! Great selection of local foods. Prices are heard to beat. Staff could be better but it's never an issue. This is our new grocery store.

I know that this place hasn't been open very long, but I'm disappointed in myself for not visiting sooner. I did find many wondrous things in the grocery section, like Delight Soy nuggets (the best soy nuggets known to humankind) and a delicious red curry tofu salad in the prepared foods case, but I'd especially like to wax poetic about the hot bar. Mondays are all vegan on the hot bar! This means that non-meat eaters should check it out, but so should our meat eating friends, who will be pleasantly surprised to try something tasty and new. When we visited, they had pineapple fried rice, herb marinated tofu, tofu chilaquiles, a curried chickpea and spinach dish, and a couple of things featuring sweet potatoes. I did not try these because sweet potatoes and I are generally not on speaking terms. But everything else was excellent, especially the herb marinated tofu and the pineapple fried rice. It was also reasonably priced, about $15 for dinner for two (less if you're less hungry, since it's priced by the pound). There is also a salad bar, which looked good, but we didn't try it. The place was not very busy when we visited at around 7. There's lots of seating both indoors and outside, so do yourself a favor and get a healthy start to your week!

Nobody seemed to know that Durham was about to open its very own Weaver-esque co-op. Even after its grand opening, I knew only one person who was aware and had visited. Her verdict? "It's pretty quiet in there. Sad." How could that be?? Weak marketing? No pomp and circumstance? No granola demographic to hula hoop a parade to their front door? I had to see for myself. My verdict? It was pretty empty of customers, and there were not a few staff standing around waiting for the throngs as a result. *STILL,* Durham Co-Op Market has all the makings for success: A nice front lawn with picnic tables. Very clean. Lots of space. Friendly staff. All your usual triangle-area products and local produce. So what's holding customers back? My guesses: - DCM's public relations outreach wasn't extensive or exciting enough - Lacking significant granola demographic. Time will tell. - Membership (not required to shop) is $25 more than Weaver's. If you're going to build a new customer base, you need to offer something more if charging more. - A few items are not competitively priced; some are noticeably more expensive Above all, though, DCM is quite nice. When I'm in the area, I'd gladly stop in to see what's happening, especially if they soon have events on their lawn.

So glad to finally have this awesome community co-op open. It's great to see some more development come to the south side of 147. The market has a great selection of foods, both packaged and freshly prepared. The coffee bar is nice too. I wish the market had a more expansive selection of local foods, but since they are still in their first couple weeks then I will wait to see if they make more arrangements with local farmers during the prime growing seasons. I also wish they sold eggs from somewhere other than Latta's Egg Ranch - they have a well-documented record of subpar living conditions for the chickens. I'd pay extra for local, pasture-raised eggs if they were available.

I like this place. Great sandwiches, themed meals and love the patio. Friendly staff, too. Would be nice to see more plant-based grocery options.

I always try to be extra understanding of and polite to people in customer-facing jobs. The general public is f'ing nuts, the pay for servers, cashiers, receptionists, etc is low, and the constant exposure to entitled twits can be soul-sucking. I've been shopping at Durham Co-op since it opened, and even though I've moved 25 minutes away, I or my husband still go 2-4 times a month to stock up on meat, beer, and other specialty and local items. The service has always been barely just this side of outright rude, but in recent years, I've gotten the impression that I am flat-out inconveniencing the staff by buying stuff, either interrupting their conversations and phone calls, or just by existing. Today, as I was struggling to quickly bag up my pile of groceries and go back and forth to deal with the credit card prompts, the cashier argued with me about which bags I should be using, and then scolded me for holding up the line (of one woman, who had been standing there for all of 30 seconds), while she just stood there, not helping. I am just done. I had to circle the parking lot to even find a legal spot; although all the Co-op parking was full, it was clearly not being used by customers, so that's an extra frustration I won't have to deal with. Weaver Street has most of the same products, and I'm happy to drive an extra 10 minutes to not get yelled at for bagging my food wrong.

I wanted to like the Durham Co-Op. Truth be told, I'll probably go back. It's convenient, and it has that SJW vibe that I tend to enjoy and appreciate in the face of any otherwise corporate humdrum day. But the Co-Op, for my purposes (hot bar, bakery, and coffee), has been disappointing. After living in Carrboro for a while, I came to know Weaver Street as a mainstay for meeting and what not. I didn't expect Durham Co-Op to be Weaver Street. That takes time. But what I did expect right away was for a market hot bar to provide okay quick eats. Instead, the breakfast dishes I've tried have been just weird, and way too particular for the setting, imho. The last straw was an Egg and Cheese Biscuit (a real Southern standard that I've have at least 300 times over the years). What I got from the Co-Op was something else. The biscuit had some sort of sweet, cinnamon tinge to it. And the egg--that poor egg--was dense and cut into a perfectly rectangular shape with some sort of cheesy bit baked on top. It was dense and mealy, and I was confused. But that's the gist of the hot bar experience for me. Not to mention that when I was getting coffee I saw they were selling wrapped slices of Banana Nut Bread for 3 bucks when you can get a whole loaf for 6 there. I think the Durham Co-Op as grab-n-go spot could be improved by leaving well enough alone or at least giving some heads up that what you're buying is going to be "different." When someone picks up an aluminum wrapped egg and cheese biscuit, in the South no less, they have firm yet very, very simple, expectations.

I've been awaiting opening day since the summer, so yes, I'm pretty excited! The bulk section is great, as is the hot bar. There's also a wide variety of prepared foods from Weaver Street Market and Mediterranean Deli in Chapel Hill. With that being said, the variety produce section, in my personal opinion, pales in comparison, and the items stocked are very particular. In other words, the co-op isn't a one-stop shop; however, for most of your grocery needs, it's worth checking out! P.S. They also stock some local teas! The holy basil by Waterdog Farms is absolutely delicious!