People’s Food Co-op ready to hire employees for expanded store

Construction is on schedule at the new People’s Food Co-op location, at 507 Harrison St. in Kalamazoo, and the store is scheduled to open in late May.

In preparation, the store will be conducting a hiring fair April 8, 3-6 p.m. as it looks for people to fill at least five new staff positions.

The added employees will bring the staff from an equivalent of 10 to an equivalent of 15. Workers are needed who can work in customer service, preparing foods and purchasing.

General Manager Chris Dilley says the hiring fair will be an opportunity for interested people to learn more about the new positions, fill out applications, and take part in short introductory interviews in a setting that will make the process less intimidating.  

The event will take place at the community center near the new location of the Co-op, Urban Blend Coffee House, 714 N. Burdick, and Dilley says he is looking forward to spending time face-to-face with people interested in working at the new store.

“It seems like a much better way to do things and is a nice chance for us to meet a lot of great people,” Dilley says.

People’s Food Co-op has spent 37 years at its current location on South Burdick. In the latest update on construction for the new location, Dilley reports painting has begun inside the store. Door frames are being installed, refrigeration piping is being roughed in, and the final drywall details are being finished.

Walk-in coolers were to be installed the week of April 4. Outside the building, work soon will start on the siding and the sidewalks.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Chris Dilley, People’s Food Co-op