Wild Onion Market — Local services in Rogers Park Township

In January of last year, I lost a major client and was scrambling to find a job to make ends meet. I applied here and never got an answer, so I shrugged about shopping in the store. Never mind that I'm sure they received piles of resumes and I'd never worked in a grocery store (although I'd worked in retail for a few years). It wasn't on my radar anymore when it opened in the summer of 2024, and I'd already found another neighborhood store that had everything I needed. (And a new client!)

But yesterday, I FINALLY walked inside because I didn't feel like walking to my go-to grocery store. I was pleasantly surprised to see it looked much different than I envisioned it would. I was imagining more of a Sam's Club vibe. It's more like your neighborhood grocery but with waaaaay healthier options and fresh fruit. In fact, I found a bunch of vegan and vegetarian options that were a few dollars cheaper than what I'm used to paying. To top it all off, there were coupons, which made it even more of a deal. I was ecstatic.

About the only con I could think of was a worker walked my way and paused. I wasn't sure if he was pausing to shop or to put something on a shelf, but I asked if he worked there. There was a slight pause before he admitted he did. I pointed out a frozen item I was looking for on sale that had a bunch of completely different items in its spot. He said they were probably out and pushed the "wrong" item over. He didn't bother telling me that this same item was available in the produce section in different packaging. But I saw him leaving the store shortly after, so I think I interrupted his break before he left for the day. (I hated it when that would happen. I would remove my vest or coat to avoid people asking me questions. SORRY!!!)

Still, I was able to find the other items on my own, and the cashier was warm and friendly. Overall, it was a great visit. I'll definitely be back because my receipt made me do a celebration dance in my head. I've been missing out for all of 2024 and half of 2025. Gotta...

Very disappointed by the negative reviews for this market. Their pricing and product options are standard for ANY small independently owned store. It’s as if the negative viewers have never shopped outside of Jewel or Aldi. WOM is NOT that. Idk anyone who buys all their groceries from one store. You shop around for your staples and specialty items, unless you are someone who doesn’t. I don’t think people understand what a co-op is. This store has been in the works for over ten years and is fully funded by donations from neighborhood members NO corporate funding. They finally opened not even a month ago so rightfully have to get into the groove and will make changes along the way. I’m happy to see this market come to Roger’s Park and excited to support and see them grow. This is also one of the cleanest, neatest always fully stocked stores I’ve ever shopped at. They also have really great deals on special items weekly. AND they are waiting on the city to grant them SNAP benefits which is huge! It’s a great store for everyone, not...

If you read the low reviews first, they are clearly from people who don't understand what a co-op is and they also have never walked on a street in RP other than Lunt, since there are numerous ethnic grocery stores throughout the neighborhood and within walking distance. Not sure why the dispensary was mentioned in another review -- should we also complain about the skeezy 24 hour massage place a couple blocks down too?

If you're like me, who doesn't want to support Amazon/Whole Foods and Jewel/Kroger because their prices are insane ($8 for a box of cereal??), think of Wild Onion as a smaller, more local, community-owned version of Whole Foods.

The co-op accepts food stamps and WIC. While some items can be a little pricey, many items are cheaper than you can get at other grocery stores, better quality, and are from local producers. The selection is small, understandably since sourced locally, but they also have simple things I couldn't find at Jewel, WF, or Marianos (fresh sage isn't...