3 Rivers Natural Grocery Food Co-op & Deli — Local services in Fort Wayne

This is the best managed food coop I've visited. We liked it so much we bought a share in it. Yes, prices tend to be higher than at Kroger, etc. But 3 Rivers runs sales constantly and, if you take advantage of those, prices really aren't too bad, especially considering the coop's curation of organic, locally sourced and non-GMO products. The bulk goods section is particularly strong. In addition to a wide selection of grains, and flours, etc, there is local honey available in bulk along with a lot of other items. The selection of meats (almost all frozen leaves something to be desired. But, that said, we bought some frozen chicken from an Amish farm and it was excellent, It actually tasted like chicken!

The range of dairy is a bit limited. I only recently moved to Indiana and I am guessing that local laws stop the coop from selling raw milk. In any case, within the rather limited range, the coop's selection of milk, cheeses, yogurt, etc is excellent. I particularly like the non homogenized milk they sell, which makes great yogurt. In terms of eggs - again the range is limited, but the quality of the chicken and duck eggs is as good as any I've seen.

The coop's staff are knowledge, approachable and very friendly. The cafe is worth a trip in itself. The selection and quality of sandwiches, soups, baked good, etc is great. One note on coffee at the cafe - I've bought a cup of it twice. Both times, it smelled burnt. But to my surprise the taste was genuinely excellent. I've received flyers from the Coop about a number of talks, small musical performances in the cafe, but haven't yet had a chance to go to one. Finally, I will say that the long hours, seven days a week that the coop is open is...

I have been going in & out of 3 Rivers for 17 yrs now! I am an allergy, asthma, & lactose intolerant person & this store has been a "major life saver" & a huge blessing for minor medical needs! I, like many, many others MISS the hot or fresh made sandwiches! Soup & a sandwich from here had been my greatest love & a reminder of my German grandmother growing up! I have read through most posts here & many things have changed & improved over the years. As for the people crying over "Past Expiration date... STOP." I had run food for 6yrs as a Truck driver & THAT DATE "is not" an absolute critical but only a tentative date depending on 'Your frigerator temp & the temperature' at which it is maintained when out on the counter (not near heat), by You & your family! Can not leave things out for 10 min even without it effecting certain products. In Los Vegas where my sister lives- 'there are' a few places that sell, well marked, "Past Date - shelf items & some refrigerator things." This is because we as a country look at a date or 'cooked item' & just heave them all out! I have SEEN the vast waste. Buying from unknown Deli's ARE the worst along with mini stores with people 'you do not know' how their foods are kept. 3 Rivers has always been exceptional & there are still a few older staff still working here - just...

BUYER BEWARE: STORE SELLS EXPIRED PRODUCTS I wish I could say this only happened one... or twice... or three times... but it’s been even more. As much as I enjoy supporting a co-op, this is just ridiculous. Bread, sour cream, pickles, breakfast foods, etc over a month expired (with no red mark for a lower cost)! And even worse, when you bring this up to the cashiers, they are annoyed WITH YOU! With Kroger and Meijer adding more and more specialty products to their shelves, the least a co-op like this could do is ensure they are selling you products within their expiration date. For this reason, they only get one star (for a wide selection) and I will not be recommending or going back anytime soon. Also, if you try to bring back an item that they overlooked, management will grill you. I brought back a breakfast item and had to fight to be able to exchange it because they didn’t believe me. When they told me to grab the same product on the shelf, they were all gone... because they had pulled them due to being out of date! Whole situation was frustrating. Hope...