50 Years of French Broad Food Co-op

From Front Porches to Downtown Asheville: Celebrating 50 Years of Community & Good Food

Fifty years ago, eating natural foods was considered alternative—even a little strange. But a small group of Ashevillians saw things differently. In the mid-1970s, they started a simple buying club, gathering on front porches to source bulk foods together. What they built became something far bigger than they could have imagined: French Broad Food Co-op.

That small club soon moved into a potter’s shed, then a warehouse on Carolina Lane. By February 1991, we had found our permanent home at 90 Biltmore Avenue in downtown Asheville. Today, we are a thriving, community-owned grocery store dedicated to bringing fresh, local, and organic food to Asheville while staying true to our cooperative roots.

A Co-op in a Changing Food Landscape

In 1975, natural foods were hard to come by. Ellie Warden, one of our founding members (who still works in the deli today), remembers a time when even whole wheat bread was difficult to find in grocery stores. Now, the landscape has changed. Large natural grocery chains have entered the market, but French Broad Food Co-op remains unique. We’re not just a store—we’re a community, a place where people come together for something bigger than profit.

Owned by thousands of shareholders, we operate on cooperative principles, keeping money in the local economy, prioritizing local farmers, and reinvesting in our community. Unlike corporate chains, our goal isn’t just to sell food—it’s to provide access to good food, support sustainable agriculture, and create a space where everyone feels welcome.

Looking Forward: Growing Together

As we celebrate 50 years, we’re not slowing down. We’re planning for the future, with goals to expand, improve our store, and continue to serve Asheville in the best way possible. What started as a small grassroots effort has become a cornerstone of Asheville’s local food movement.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you’ve been shopping with us for decades or just discovered the co-op, we wouldn’t be here without you. Here’s to 50 years of cooperation, good food, and community—and many more to come!

French Broad Food C0-0p Timeline

1974: French Broad Food Co-op begins as a food-buying club, meeting on various Asheville residents’ porches. One of those porches belonged to founding member Ellie Warden, who still works in the store’s deli.

1975: The co-op incorporates as a cooperative association, operating exclusively on a mutual and nonprofit basis.

November 11, 1990: The co-op moves into its fourth and current location at 90 Biltmore Ave. Previously, it operated in a potter’s shed on the corner of Broadway and Hillside streets, then a warehouse space on Carolina Lane, and later in the Chesterfield Mill, which burned down a year after the co-op moved out.

2004: Facing financial challenges with the opening of Greenlife Grocery, the co-op joins the National Cooperative Grocers Association, a national network of co-ops pooling resources to increase buying power.

2011: The co-op experiences rapid sales growth for three consecutive years, replenishing cash reserves for the first time since Greenlife’s opening.

2014: Now essentially debt-free, plans for expansion commence, aiming to offer a wider product selection, more parking, community space, and improved access. Read more.

2021: The Health & Beauty department undergoes relocation within the store as part of ongoing renovations.

2022: Expansion efforts continue with updates to the store’s infrastructure and layout. Read more | Photos

May 2023: Phase 1 renovations near completion, including a new break room for staff, featuring a large bathroom and private kitchen. Read More.

2024: The co-op paves the lower parking lot to enhance accessibility and continues store expansion efforts. Four new board members join, bringing fresh ideas and energy.

2025: Celebrating 50 years as Asheville’s only community-owned grocery store, the co-op reflects on its journey from a small buying club to a cornerstone of the local food movement.