Central Co-op — Restaurant in Seattle

Rude + Condescending staff. Disrespectful of customer financial privacy. Overpriced. Filthy bulk section. No upper management in store. AVOID - SPEND YOUR $ SOMEWHERE FRIENDLIER!

They GENUINELY DON’T CARE about customers.

The last straw that caused me to write this review: I took the incentive to alert a hipster headphone-wearing staff member that there was a bunch of sticky stuff on the floor by the bulk section. I went down the next aisle and overheard him mocking me to another coworker who laughed along.

When I checked out, the girl at the register couldn’t hear me speak (I just don’t talk very loud) so I repeated myself. Then at the end of the transaction she said something to me very quietly, so I said “what?”, and she smirked. Then she greeted the next customer in her normal voice which was pretty loud. Super bizarre attitude to experience.

They GENUINELY DON’T CARE about customers.

You can see that reflected in their prices - $4.50 for a small avocado?! 6 nectarines for $15?! They also charge more than the brands they carry’s websites list, especially for gluten free items.

Quality is pretty bad - so many times I’ve purchased produce only to find it moldy or rotten the next day. Always check the expiration dates if you buy packaged items, especially anything in the fridge or freezer. It’s likely been there a long time.

I’ve witnessed their cashiers loudly announcing customer’s personal financial information (like what type of card they’re paying with) in front of long lines of people. Also, they never have enough cashiers and the ones they do have are slow af. They’ll have entire conversations with customers, disregarding the growing line.

They GENUINELY DON’T CARE about customers. (Have I mentioned this??)

I’m so sick of the attitude of the staff here.

I’ve been a customer since they were called Madison Market, but no more. I’ll never shop here again.

Addendum: there is ONE older male staff member who has been there for years and is actually genuinely helpful and kind. Mainly seen him in the...

I've been looking to get away from the chain stores, looking for a new grocery store, when I found central co-op. I jumped at the opportunity to ensure most of my money stays local. I read a lot of reviews that were questionable, but we'd driven by before, and from the size on the outside it seemed like they would have a decent amount of selection. The outside of the store is misleading. Once you're inside you see that there is a lot of walled off space in odd shapes, and the store is tiny and cramped.

The selection is reasonable for the size of the store, however that doesn't mean you'll find what you're looking for. I saw a review that mentioned it was a great place for chicken feet, which I unfortunately thought meant that all chicken would be plentiful. There was literally more chicken feet than chicken breast. I realized that being more about local and natural, that my grocery list would have to reflect that sort of selection. There were so many items that were out of stock, and a lot of things that they just don't have room to stock. I left the store with less than half the items on my list.

The staff is apathetic at best. Some are extremely passive aggressive. I felt like I was in their way while they were stocking things, for customers to buy... which is why they work there. You'll be better off not asking for help, unless you want a huge sigh and a point in the general direction, and then you're still just on your own.

The parking area is tiny, if you have anything more than the smallest compact there are only about 4 spaces that your car will fit in, and there's maybe 30ish spaces at most anyway. You'll circle several times before you find a space that your car probably won't fit in. If you're close enough to walk or just need a few things and you can ride there it might be a better choice.

I really wanted to like this place. I spent a while on the website and read a lot about it from other sources. I was even interested in joining the co-op until I actually went there. We...

I was a loyal member for 35+ years, They dismembered me without recourse. This coop was originally at 12th and Denny, then they moved here to Madison and Pine. To gussy themselves up they changed the name to MADISON MARKET. That didn't work. What else didn't work was that as the founders were replaced by the new generations, they lost the coop vision, though they mumble about the coop principles. They used to call me when they had empty grain bags and I would go over to pick them up. I needed the bags to hold bicycle parts that were being sent to support our bros and sisters in Africa. We never used plastic bags because it just makes more bad air when they are burned as garbage. When my bag contact coop person was promoted I asked to continue this beneficial practice for several years. They refused to take me seriously. (Our group has sent 400+ containers of bikes to Africa.) They eventually dismembered me without recourse or formal hearing. Be warned these are not nice people. Customers at PCC are treated better than what the the coop calls "member owners." They had previously not permitted me as a member to collect signatures for WA State initiative 1329 to support amending the US Constitution to reduce the influence of money on elections and government policy by overturning the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. I talked with the coop governing board twice about this. One board member approached me afterwards to sign the petition the rest had no clue what the initiative was all about. New photos below of Central Coop recycled cardboard bales that include the paper bags ( mentioned above ) that they used to separate to be used to load loose bicycle parts in containers of bikes leaving Seattle for Ghana and Sierra Leone. We do not want to use plastic bags because they would be burned as garbage after use. If you read this far please add your like...