River Market Community Co-op — Attraction in Stillwater

This locally cherished spot offers an abundant array of farm-fresh produce, a veritable cornucopia of spices in bulk, and a delectable assortment of nutritious, mouth-watering foods. Not to mention, their parking situation is a dream come true for any downtown shopper.

On a recent visit, I had the good fortune to engage in an enlightening conversation with a friendly deli counter employee about their renowned pesto pizza. The exchange unfolded as follows:

"Excuse me," I began tentatively, "I've heard great things about your pesto pizza. What makes it so special?"

The employee beamed with pride, responding, "Our pesto pizza is crafted with a rich, homemade basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and a blend of mozzarella and feta cheese. It's baked to perfection on a scrumptious, crispy crust."

"I must say, that sounds positively divine," I replied, my taste buds already tingling with anticipation. "Is there a secret ingredient or technique that sets it apart?"

"Well," the employee leaned in conspiratorially, "it's not much of a secret, but we use only the freshest, locally sourced ingredients. Plus, our pesto is made in-house, which really adds a certain je ne sais quoi."

My curiosity piqued, I couldn't resist asking, "What do you think would pair well with your pesto pizza? I'm on the lookout for a non-alcoholic beverage, as I'll be driving later."

The employee thought for a moment before suggesting, "I'd recommend our house-made ginger lemonade. Its zesty, tangy flavor complements the richness of the pizza quite nicely."

Needless to say, I left the River Market Community Co-op with a satisfied smile and a newfound appreciation for their dedication to quality, locally sourced ingredients, and the delightful people who make it all happen. It's a true testament to the vibrant spirit...

River market used to have a wonderful deli with plenty of options and stayed open till 8 o’clock. Now you’re lucky if you can grab a soup before 4 o’clock; they don’t even have many fun options for soup as well… They should always have a meat, vegetarian and non-dairy option (utilizing coconut milk). I started going to chipotle because they don’t offer burritos anymore as well. That was the highlight of this place especially for the bikers that would come through! Another weird thing is that most of their cold items in the deli are not covered anymore under snap EBT benefits. This has recently changed in the last few years because I recall being able to use snap on these items. It’s funny though, if you ask them to put a curry chicken salad on a sandwich, then it is covered somehow. It must be because they are using an old PLU number. Their reasoning is because it’s prepped (why it’s not covered under snap) but this is not parallel to their theory because the sandwich requires prepping lol. They also used to have way more variety with sandwiches and smoothies and now there’s barely anything on the menu which is really sad because they used to have really long lunch lines and I think that was partly due to all the fun options! Hopefully they can get some better management in there to straighten everything up and hire some quality team workers😁 I also think it’s kind of unusual that they keep forcing their workers to wear masks off and on. They keep changing the policy which is sad because it should be optional. For being such an organic hippie kind of place, this doesn’t match up right…. On a side note, I thought it was pretty cool that they offer the bikers discount. Anyone who uses their bike as transportation to get there receives a discount on...

I purchased a soup labeled as vegan—critical for me as a vegetarian—only to discover after eating it that it contained chicken. Mistakes happen; I’ve worked in customer service and understand that labels can be overlooked. What I cannot accept, however, is the complete lack of accountability that followed.

When I returned to address the issue, the kitchen staff member casually admitted they ‘forgot to swap the label,’ offered no apology, and simply asked if I still wanted the soup—as if the breach of trust was inconsequential. At the register, the cashier processed my refund with a brief ‘sorry about that,’ but there was no sense of urgency or recognition of the gravity of serving meat to a vegetarian customer.

For a co-op that prides itself on integrity, where was the horror at this mistake? Where was the commitment to making it right beyond a perfunctory refund?

This isn’t about a simple labeling error—it’s about customer service and responsibility. I expect a business, especially one with a cooperative ethos, to own its mistakes with sincerity and take steps to ensure they don’t happen again. Instead, I was met with indifference. I’m deeply disappointed and will be reconsidering where I shop...