Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

[Dan gillotte <dangillotte AT gmail.com>]

Hello Wheatsville friends!

It's been great to see so many of you coming in to check out the new addition and participate in our game, "Where did you hide the bulk department?!" I am really excited and pelased with the new space and have gotten so many wonderful comments from you all. I'm so happy that this idea we had years ago now has nice people like you using it!

If you haven't been in this week, please come by. You'll find the original store to be in an interesting phase with lots of open spaces and hanging plastic. Then you'll cross over to the new addition and (hopefully) be blown away by the new space! 
In case you don't know, here are some of the new things in our new space:

Fresh Baked Bread- we have in-house fresh baked LaBrea bread for you to enjoy. So far the response to this has been tremendous and people seem to really like it. One person said that it was the one thing they were missing at Wheatsville. I"m so glad to fill that need with this new bread. I've been enjoying it a  lot myself!

Organic, Fair Trade Espresso Drinks! Yeppers... get your caffeine needs met through your co-op! And, I'm happy to brag that unlike other places in town, we use ORGANIC MILK and SOYMILK (at no additional charge) and we even have organic Chocolate and flavored syrups! Whoa! This really is quite special and you won't just find it at any old coffee shop, I promise.

Greatly expanded Frozen Foods- This department has grown A LOT and so far people seem to love it. Look for more entrees (including the delicious Amy's Tamales), more ice cream and non-dairy frozen treats (the coconut milk So Delicious treats have been a HUGE hit at our house!) and even new and different burritos! This department is the first FULLY expanded department, so it can give you a taste of what's to come!

Expanded seafood selection and quick to fix meat items! Bryan and Mark have been whipping up some nice looking cases every day and some product that is top notch. Don't be shy, step up to the counter and ring that bell! Someone will get right with you!


CLOSING EARLY NOTICE: We will be closing early on Tuesday April 7th at 10pm in order to relocate the registers into their new final home! So, come on in Wednesday for still more changes!

If you're having trouble with the changes, please don't hesitate to ask for help! And, don't worry, we're still the same Wheatsville you know and love, even if we've spruced the place up a bit!

Coffee with the board this Saturday!
Come to Coffee with the board this Saturday from 10am-noon. Share coffee and treats with your board while talking about your co-op, the weather, or the transformation of society! How many other boards of directors of businesses make themselves available to chat with you?

Don't forget about Produce.
With all the excitement with the new store, don't forget about your green grocers over in the old store! We'll keep the light on for you! Produce doesn't get to relocate to their new digs for a while, but they still have excellent products for your green grocer needs!
 
1015's
We currently have  three pound bags of organic 1015 Texas sweet onions, and conventional loose 1015's. These are very sweet onions. They are great raw (I've seen people eat them apples, which is not for me, but I've seen it), and cook down to be even sweeter. They are only availble for a brief time in the early spring so get them while they last.
 
Convenient Produce Near the Coffee
We have some produce near the self serve coffee area. There are both conventional and organic bananas, some citrus and a few apples and pears. Pick some up if you're in a hurry in the deli because fresh fruits are a good idea!
 
Local Herbs
Right now, we are offering Pure Luck Herbs, Buena Tierra basil, and Urban Roots cilantro. As the season progresses look for more fresh spring produce.
 
Texas Strawberries! 
Yep, we've got 'em! Come in and get 'em while you can!

In The Grocery Aisle
Steaz Organic Energy Drink:
 
Here’s a great one for a hot day. Steaz Organic Energy Drink is a natural way to get the energy boost you need, and it’s a refreshing drink for the times when you also need to cool off. This is a different kind of energy drink made with fair trade Ceylon green tea, yerba mate, acai berry juice, and other natural ingredients. There are no artificial flavors, colors or other ingredients. You can try three different flavors at Wheatsville: berry, diet berry, and orange. To learn about Steaz Organic Energy Drinks go to http://www.steazenergy.com
 
Justin Merrifield, Grocery Buyer

LOST KEYS ALERT!!
On Saturday, March 29th, around 2 in the afternoon while enthusing about the new deli, a Wheatsville staffer dropped her keys and another staffer accidentally gave them to a customer who didn't realize they weren't hers. The folding remote key costs about $250 to replace, so our staffer is very anxious to recover them. If you have some mysterious keys (and you don't know where they came from), please bring them by Wheatsville the next time you're in the store.

Have a great week and thanks for your continued patience during our major project!

Dan
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!