Jackie Krentzman is a Bay Area-based writer and editor.    

When Imperial Beach Mayor Pro Tem Jack Fisher was growing up in the city, his elementary school class took a field trip to Burger King.

“We got to watch burgers get made,” chuckles Fisher.

Today, an Imperial Beach elementary school class is more likely to take a field trip to the new SunCoast Market Co-op, which opened in January, ten years after it was first envisioned. The co-op, the first in South San Diego County, offers a variety of fresh, nutritious food that was once hard to find in this city of 26,000.

“We did a survey when we were starting up, and we learned that Imperial Beach had over 40 fast food restaurants, liquor stores, and convenience stores — but limited grocery store options,” says Kim Frink, the co-op’s board president and co-founder.

In 2015, Imperial Beach was planning to open a new shopping mall and was looking for an anchor grocery store that sold healthy foods. As a low-income community without affordable and nutritious food choices, Imperial Beach was classified as a food desert. The city had a small Mexican grocery store and an independent grocer at the time. Residents had to travel to neighboring Chula Vista or San Diego — some by bus — for a wider range of options.

“First, the city and the mall’s developer tried to bring in a Trader Joe’s or Sprouts,” says Frink. “But we weren’t the kind of city those stores were looking to expand into.”

Then, some residents suggested a co-op, a community-owned and operated business. At first, it was a hard sell.

“Co-ops are more common in Northern California than Southern,” says Frink. “We had to educate people.”

Yet nearly 50 people showed up to an exploratory meeting at city hall, which led to the formation of a resident-led working group. The group, the Imperial Beach Healthy Grocery Initiative, ramped up its community outreach in 2018 and began presenting at community events. It received technical assistance from the Food Co-op Initiative, a nonprofit that provides technical assistance to startup food co-ops.

The co-op turned from a vision into reality in 2021, when the city got involved. Imperial Beach granted the co-op group $500,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. That grant unlocked other funding sources for the $4 million project, including a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.

“At the time, the council wanted to find ways to boost the city’s economic base, and the idea of a healthy grocery was very appealing,” says Fisher.

Initially, the city experienced some pushback from residents, who questioned why it would commit such a hefty sum to one business. The opposition subsided when the grant led other funders to invest.

Today, SunCoast has more than 1,600 shareholders, most of them Imperial Beach households, at $200 per household share. Everyone can shop at the co-op, but shareholders get special perks, such as quarterly discounts and owner-only sales. In profitable years, they will receive rebates. The co-op will generate an estimated $6.5 million annually for the regional economy.

“We need to be profitable and successful, but unlike corporate grocers, our primary mission isn’t to make profits for shareholders, it’s to serve our members and the community,” says Frink. 

At 6,200 square feet, SunCoast can’t stock as much as big box grocers, but it still has something of everything. The store features the area’s only salad bar and a hot food section that is very popular among Navy Seals, drawn from the nearby base in Coronado. It also boasts a bulk bin section that includes grains, spices, nuts, and even soap. People can bring in their own containers to reduce waste and save money.

One of SunCoast’s primary focuses is produce, much of it sourced from local farmers. The co-op also recruited local vendors, including pickle makers, bread makers, soap makers, and coffee roasters. Fisher says the store tries to strike a balance between providing local and healthy products and more traditional foodstuffs.

“Compared to when I grew up here, families don’t have the time or knowledge to cook healthy meals, so they rely on processed foods and unhealthy prepared meals more,” says Fisher, whose primary job is a chef at a resort. “As a result, we have a high rate of obesity. The co-op gives shoppers options for healthy ingredients that we didn’t have in the city prior.”

The co-op also emphasizes education, funded in part by a county grant. The store offers cooking classes, including at the local Boys & Girls Club, taught by local chefs like Fisher. The co-op also offers nutrition classes, volunteer-led by a local dietitian. 

“I think there’s genuine interest in Imperial Beach in eating healthy,” says Fisher. “The hard part is many don’t know what that really entails.”

SunCoast’s educational component is an outgrowth of its emphasis on building community cohesion.

City resident Will Holder is the co-owner of Visitor Coffee Roaster, a local company that sells its offerings at markets and events, through a subscription service and online, and at local cafes and restaurants. The coffee is now featured at the co-op, for which it created a special SunCoast blend. Holder says that the co-op has increased traffic at other stores in the mall, and in the process, changed the city’s vibe.

“The stretch of the city from the co-op to the beach on Palm Avenue previously was a largely under-utilized stretch of road,” Holder says. “Now, I see more people on the biking and walking paths because they are stopping at the market and taking the time to chat with others. It’s been such a great addition to Imperial Beach.”