BriarPatch Food Co-op | Spring 2021 By Laura Petersen
Where Everybody KNOWS YOUR NAME
THE BRIARPATCH FRONT END DEPARTMENT IS A PLACE WHERE YOU’RE TREATED LIKE FAMILY
T
he minute you walk in through the front doors you can feel the positive vibe. BriarPatch is a friendly place where everyone is welcome. It’s here that owners and regular shoppers are known by name. And it’s exactly that sense of community that keeps folks coming back for more. The 30 people who are the backbone of the fun and hard-working Front End crew have become local fixtures. “I would describe the Front End as a RAINBOW. We are colorful and happy and we come together to make a beautiful family! We have a lot of fun and enjoy interacting with our customers. We believe in the work we are doing and love working with this community. We have been faced with many challenges over the past year, but have been able to stick together and support one another no matter what. BriarPatch is a place that feels like home, so it’s easy to want to stick around for many years,” says Cassidy, Front End Manager.
Meet some of the team 14
Michael started working at
BriarPatch in 2009. He has been the Store Operations Manager for a year. “The community, the mission and the people are what keep me coming back and bringing my best self. I want to see cooperative businesses grow. I see the cooperative economy as being more equitable for all people associated with them and in my experience it is the best that we have to offer the world at this time. The idea of people owning the work they do, being valued, respected and having a voice resonates with who I am.” Michael loves learning and saying “yes” to life. Whether he’s riding a unicycle, juggling, playing instruments, learning a language or embracing anything athletic, he’s living life to the fullest.
