Join Us in Piecing Together Lovettsville Market’s Grand Opening Puzzle!

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This is a riddle of epic proportions that has been tough to solve, but fear not! We are on the cusp of cracking this complex conundrum known as Opening Day. 

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As we get closer to FINALLY solving this puzzle, our dedicated crew diligently works behind the scenes, piecing together the final touches of our Lovettsville Market Co-op. We’re thrilled to embark on this journey toward our Opening Day. The construction crew is busy fine-tuning the interior finishes, while our unstoppable Lovettsville Market Co-op team showcases unwavering stamina, assembling carts, cleaning floors, and unpacking equipment with the anticipation of unveiling the complete picture.

 

 

In the meantime, we invite YOU – our enthusiastic and supportive community, to be a part of our Opening Day journey as we work to get the final piece of this puzzle in place. We are in the process of implementing a way for you to see our market come together, piece by piece. You will witness Lovettsville Market gradually come to life, evolving into the vibrant heart of our community that we have all been eagerly anticipating. We are so close to opening the doors and welcoming you to Lovettsville’s very own, full-service grocery store! 

 

As we unveil glimpses of the magic unfolding behind closed doors, we will introduce you to members of our dedicated team that have contributed to shaping this dream into reality. Our tireless on-site team, loyal Lovettsville Market Co-op members, and the entire Lovettsville community have played a crucial role in bringing us to this remarkable juncture.  

 

We can’t thank you enough for your continued support and we look forward to meeting you, in person, on Opening Day! 

 

There are several ways for you to stay up to date on the progress of our Lovettsville Market Co-op: FOLLOW US on Facebook and Instagram for real-time updates and sneak peeks. Sign up for our email newsletter HERE to ensure you never miss a beat. Have a question or simply want to say, “Hi”? Drop us an email at info@lovettsville-grocery.com.  

Progress Update

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Have you noticed that the construction fence is now removed?!  That’s a definite sign of our moving closer to an opening date!

The Co-op Team has been working almost 24/7 pushing, pulling, and installing store equipment.  Some key progress notes are:

  • Many inspections will be done in August.  Inspections are being recorded manually until Loudoun County reopens the process with their new system upgrade.  Then, we hope to be at the top of the list for final occupancy inspection!
  • Interviews for our permanent General Manager are being conducted.  The search committee is very impressed with the quality of candidates; and, a selection will be made soon.
  • The refrigeration cases are installed, operating, and being tested.
  • The deli countertops and the office desks have been installed.
  • The fire suppression system is being tested.
  • Our Working Dog Cafe’ signage should be installed very soon.

Meat slicers and ovens ready to go; grocery carts ready to roll!

Moving Toward the Finish!

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July 31, 2023

Here is what we have completed or in the works to date:

  • Electricity has come to the Co-op!  The lights are on and the HVAC system is up and working.  There is much activity with verifying connections, checking each plug and switch.  Soon the refrigeration equipment will be activated so testing can begin on these items.  If you had the pleasure of visiting the store at one of our events, you know there are lots of freezers and refrigerators to test!  This testing is expected to take about 2 weeks.
  • Water is turned on in the building.  Thanks to the Town of Lovettsville for getting this completed.  Extensive testing is ongoing to be sure there are no leaks.
  • The fire suppression system is installed and being tested.
  • Communication lines, including telephones and internet are all installed and our provider will be turning on service shortly.  This allows the store registers to be tested and loaded for day one transactions.
  • The kitchen has most of the equipment installed, the floor and walls are finished and the hood is installed.
  • Indoor signage is being designed, printed and installed.  This includes our Working Dog Cafe sign over the deli, honoring one of our past Chairs, Jeanne Carlson, who sadly passed away very prematurely due to cancer.  Background information on her life in Alaska mushing dogs prior to moving to Lovettsville will provide context for this special deli name.
  • Sidewalks, parking lot, EV chargers, landscaping and outdoor painting is compete and looks fabulous.
  • Hiring continues, most positions are filled and our new employees are anxious to get started.
  • Discussions with producers is a top priority for store management and we are looking forward to great participation.

COMING SOON

  • The construction fence is scheduled to be removed on Friday, August 4.  This is an exciting milestone!
  • Many inspections will take place in August when the county reopens the process after their system upgrade.  That upgrade is expected to be completed by August 14 according to the county.  We hope to be at the top of the list for inspections.
  • Interviews for a permanent General Manager should conclude in the next few weeks.  We have some great candidates and look forward to making our announcement!

Punch List Progress

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We are so thankful for our General Manager, Garland, who is making sure our store will be open soon and ready with everything in place.  As of this past week, about 90% of the equipment is on site.  We await the arrival of the main power panel and front doors, key pieces for opening!  Most of the plumbing is complete; dry walls are sanded and ready for painting to begin this week.  Did you know that we will have charging stations for electric vehicles?  The foundation has been poured and power wired for the car chargers we have already.

YES, there is lots of parking space.  You may notice that much equipment is out on the sidewalk and in front of the store.  The entire lot will be cleared next week and reveal more of our parking area.  If you have visited recently, you will see that all windows over the front entry and the cart corral windows are installed.

In our feature photo above, Rich Guralnik, Chair of the Building Committee, shows off the coolers to be installed after the painting is completed.  The additional photo below is of the walk-in cooler.

Our hiring process continues and we still need a few good food service staff.  If interested, please see our Careers page.  While Garland had to inform the new hires about a delayed start date, everyone understood and is looking forward to being part of the Co-op team.  As he emphasized, “their response to the delay only verified that we are hiring the right people”.

While our Grand Opening will be later this summer due to delay in receiving the electrical panels, the work rapidly continues for us to open our store as soon as possible.  It will open when ready and we are able to support our supporters with a fully operational grocery store!

We appreciate your enthusiastic support and look forward to seeing everyone when we can shop at the Co-op!

Great Turn-Out for Store Tours!

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What an incredible turn-out we had on May 20th!  We hosted an event to show off the grocery store interior that is almost complete, and to celebrate meeting our goal of 1,000 members before opening day…at the event, we were 1,046 members.  As of today (May 31), we are now 1,060 members strong!  Tours were conducted by our General Manager, Garland; Operations Manager, Killian; and, Deli Manager, Noah.  Enthusiasm was evidenced by the lines of excited members and perhaps soon-to-be member neighbors awaiting their chance for the store tour!  Food samples from some of our producers and food items for sale were available.  There was a constant stream of folks engaged with Co-op Managers, Board members, and other volunteers providing information and goodies to participants.  Joining the event were several of our local producers.  These included A Farm Less Ordinary, The Village Winery, Mushroom Maiden, Catoctin Coffee, Living Green Aquaponics, and The Burrow Flower and Garden Shop.  Everyone is eagerly awaiting our opening in July.  Once our electrical panels are installed and inspected, we can schedule our Grand Opening!

 

Member Appreciation Celebration!

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WHEN?  Saturday, May 20

TIME?  10:00 A.M. – 2 P.M.

WHERE?  At our Co-op grocery store site in the Lovettsville Town Commons

Everyone is invited to our Member Appreciation Celebration, and attending Co-op members will receive a special gift!  Join us for tours of our grocery store; fun family activities; meet our General Manager, Operations Manager and Deli Manager; and our Board members.  We will have reps from our local producer community on hand; samples of products that will be for sale in our store; and updated information on construction, membership and our capital campaign.

Light refreshments and soft drinks will be served.

Please let us know if you are attending, so we can plan for the refreshments and supplies!  RSVP Here

A Ground Breaking Event!

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  JOIN US for our Ground Breaking Celebration and Fall Market at Lovettsville Town Commons (Formerly Lovettsville Square South-same location)

Saturday, October 9, from Noon to 3:00 p.m.  Get a sneak peak and walk through the site of our upcoming store.  Meet the Co-op Board, neighbors and future shoppers.  An outlined footprint of our grocery store will help guide you through each department representing local products.  Sample some giveaway goodies.  Stroll around our tents and enjoy prepared foods, bakery items, beverages, produce, meats and more on sale.  Products will be available for purchase from local Virginia and Maryland producers.

The team from Eco Developers will be staffing a table to answer questions people have about the development, including the sustainable practices and their building philosophy.  Did you know that we will be the anchor store and a demonstration project for eco-friendly features and sustainable practices?

Put your name in the hat to win a $100 Gift Certificate!  There will be 3 drawings throughout the event.

BE THERE ON THE SQUARE!!  See you Saturday…

FACEBOOK LIVE Announcement of Store Plans

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DATE:  Friday, October 23, 2020

TIME:  Noon

WHERE:  Facebook Live presented from the Lovettsville Square

Join us on our Facebook page @LovettsvilleGroceryCoop for major announcement and details about our upcoming community-owned, locally grown grocery store.  Chair, John DeSaix, will share these details with everyone on Friday, October 23 at Noon.  He will be joined by Julie Harner, vice-Chair and other Board members, Membership Committee members, and representatives from the Lovettsville Square South LLC.

 

If you are local and can join us in person, please do!  And, please observe social distancing and wear a mask.  Thank you