Central Co-op

I've been a member here since the mid-80's, when they were on 12th. OK, not all checkout clerks can be as beautiful and fun and perky as Gigi was back in '87. (My boyfriend had a big crush on her and we walked up the hill from the Cambridge next to the Convention Center three times per week, or more, to get groceries). So, l don't know what people are referring to about grumpy checkout clerks. Aren't most checkout clerks grumpy these days? Sure they are probably all Socialists trapped in a Capitalist society, so l understand. You really want Grumpville, head on down to the Whole Foods on Madison.This co-op has great local produce, fish, meat, bread, dairy and I love their deli and hot food. Also great local coffee beans and bulk section. So, five stars, even considering ridiculously small parking lot where you can't see the pedestrians coming up or down the sidewalk until your car is halfway into the street and, l hope they put the electric car chargers back in. STILL 5 stars!

Good food, but watch checkout like a hawk and review your receipt before you leave. The checkout people are sloppy. I can't tell you how many times I've discovered that they scanned a single item multiple times and overcharged me.

Wow looks like I wasn't the only one who had bad interactions with staff here. Checking out it looked like the staff was filled with employees doing some kind of bag inventory management and seemed annoyed that I needed to check out and take them away from that maybe. I tried to make a few light jokes and conversation but the employee seemed out of it and deeply apathetic. To me that indicates there's an issue with management and what it's like to work here so I hope Central can figure their issues out sooner rather than later because I can't see myself coming back here unfortunately and I feel like the real people suffering are the poor staff. Just walking in there's a weird heavy air that feels like the whole mood of the place is lowered. Feels a little dirty, the place is a bit small (it's capitol hill that's not too surprising) and the selection didn't leave me wanting to buy much after checking out the whole store. I'll stick to the plethora of better options for groceries in Seattle: PCC, Metropolitan Market, Asian Family Market, Uwajimaya, Whole Foods...You gotta really have something good to complete in this area for groceries!

I lived on Madison very very close to hear when the Occupy shindig really hit the sidewalk at a dead run, and I have to say I was impressed. They were SUAVE in there, while Trader Joe's a block away was lined up around the block all stiff as boards and mashed up, Co Op was fluid and selling. Impressive, because I bet the staff were nervous and flipping right out, but they held on. Also, I really thought they had a good deli, great prepared salads and sandwich's for when you wanted a grab and go, and a nice little coffee stand. I'd have gone absolutely crazy if I'd worked in there at the time, but I didn't. Also, it's actually in a really good location if you like to be able to pick up truly alternative leaflets and literature off of a well stocked rack.

A great store with a great bulk section. A excellent fresh produce selection and great seasonal items. The breads and pastries are fresh, a great Cafe during the daytime, deli, hot food, and juice bar, and they make vegan chocolate cake. Yummy! And if you can't cook these store has great prepared foods Togo sandwiches and salads.

Quick stop to get Malk organic milks - this is the only store in Seattle that carries this sprouted nut milk brand. I didn't get to spend a lot of time here, but they carry a handful of specialty items you can't find at Whole Foods. They have a parking garage which is a bonus! Depending on what you're looking for, this place is a little pricey almost similar to PCC's pricing. Produce looks pretty fresh, organic meats are on the higher end. They carry field day Organics which not a lot of places carry besides PCC.Overall, if I'm in dire need of Malk's, I'll drive downtown to cap hill for it. Other than that I'll just swing by if I'm in the neighborhood. I can find better deals at QFC, Thriftway or Whole Foods. It's a nice store for this neighborhood though.

I love co-ops. And Central is no exception. The atmosphere always just feels a bit more comfy, cozy and homey.Personal highlights are in...~ Produce: Love the colorful variety of organic potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, broccoli, ginger, apples. bananas and herbs. Oh, and the pre-cut ready-to-eat/cook containers are super convenient & awesome (great way to encourage more whole-food eating w/o the hassle of extra prep & cutting).~ Household: Eco-friendly cleaners & sustainable supplies/tools.~ Commercial aisles: EdenSoy Foods organic pure soy milk (original & unsweetened). Yummy dehydrated banana upcycled produce snacks from Barnana.~ Deli: The hot bar coconut cilantro brown rice (although cilantro always seems to be lacking; would be cool if it was sufficiently mixed in the whole batch). The edges of the tin tend to get dry, though; they should mix it more regularly. Some of the case entrees sound delicious but the almost standard use of added oils is a turn-off to me.~ Coffee/Smoothie bar: really good smoothies with added extra ginger = yum. I believe they also use preferred brand Oatly for oat milk.~ Alternative cold section: local organic tofu (Island Spring), yummy soy product variety, jackfruit, tempeh, etc.~ Snacks: Rare but when the itch wants a scratch, I get the Beanfields chips; they're my fav chip by far.Really cool and friendly neighborhood place. The staff generally are fairly pleasant although sometimes are those who feel kinda indifferent or "eh". Centrally located in east Seattle, on major bus routes and decent parking garage.

So many crappy interactions with the staff here. Terrible attitudes. I can't wear a mask for medical and religious reasons, I called and asked if I can shop in store. I was told that I can, so I did. Haven't had an issue with it until the other night when I was harassed and told I can't be inside by the manager. Stuck up loser who has no clue how to handle things maturely.

Would give negative stars if that was an option. Horrible experiences here from supervisors, and Management. Have seen people get thrown to the ground for stealing and passive aggressive behavior from management (Doug)! The food is sub par quality from deli. I would recommend a different business for your health needs if you value your mental health also. Thank you. Also after being trespassed (informally for no apparent reason) do they profile customers? Apparently if you grab 2 moving boxes from the produce department and are already making your way out of the door. They can GRAB them violently from you if a customer asks an employee (even though you technically have the right to the boxes, and to not be HARASSED) , they will give the boxes to the other customer not the person who had them already. What the heck! Maybe I should hire a lawyer!

Agree with others saying the staff is rude to certain people and they chat too long with others which creates longer lines. No self-checkout option. Prices are also marked up a lot. TJs, WFM, anything else is better.