The Charles River Food Co-op has surpassed 1,000 member-owners and earned a national award recognizing its progress toward opening a community-owned grocery store serving Newton, Watertown, and Waltham. More than one-third of its member-owners now live in Newton, highlighting growing local support for the project.
The startup co-op recently received the 2026 Bill Gessner Startup Food Co-op Award from the Food Co-op Initiative, which recognizes emerging food cooperatives for outstanding planning, community organizing, and long-term vision. The award includes an unrestricted grant of $2,000 to support the organization’s continued development.
For board president Sam Garwin, the two milestones represent the result of years of volunteer work.
“The 1,000-member milestone is pretty huge,” Garwin said. “We all want to have an open grocery store that everyone can shop at – and that has the most amazing local, sustainable, and fresh food out there.”
The Charles River Food Co-op was founded following the closure of Russo’s in Watertown in September 2021, to bring a locally owned grocery store back to the communities Russo’s once served. Since launching its member-owner campaign in June 2022, the organization has steadily grown while working toward opening a permanent storefront. As of early August 2026, the co-op has 1,041 member-owners.
Garwin said the organization needs to reach approximately 2,000 members before opening its doors – a benchmark identified through a feasibility study as critical to ensuring the long-term financial success of the grocery store.
The national award, she said, validates the organization’s steady approach.
“This was a huge vote of confidence that we are taking the proper steps,” Garwin said. “People sometimes underestimate how long it takes to make a vision like this come true.”
Tim Snyder, clerk of the co-op’s board of directors, said the recognition comes after years of work by volunteers dedicated to bringing the project to life.
“We’ve been working on getting this co-op off the ground for several years, and this is a big milestone for us,” Snyder said. “Every grant we get is another piece of the puzzle to get this up and running.”
Snyder attributes the co-op’s growing membership to residents’ desire for fresh, locally sourced food – and a grocery store owned by the community rather than a large corporation.
“I think it’s an interest in supporting a local enterprise that isn’t controlled by major corporate interests,” Snyder said. “This is something where we can really make a difference.”
The co-op’s membership reflects the communities it hopes to serve. According to Garwin, 34% of member-owners are from Newton, 32% are from Watertown, and 11% are from Waltham, with the remaining members coming from surrounding communities including Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge, and Lexington.
Snyder said the organization modeled its market plans after Russo’s, which attracted shoppers from throughout the region.
“Russo’s attracted clientele from far and wide, and I think a food co-op locally would do the same,” he said.
While membership continues to grow, the organization’s next major priority is securing a permanent location.
Garwin said the board is actively seeking a site that could become available over the next several years, giving the co-op enough time to complete fundraising, design and renovate the space, and prepare for opening. The organization is also expanding its community presence through farmers’ markets, festivals, and member events while continuing to recruit new owners.
“Our mission is to be the best grocery store in the Metro Boston area,” Garwin said. “We want the highest-quality products sourced from New England whenever possible.”
She added that the co-op also hopes to bring some of Greater Boston’s favorite specialty foods closer to MetroWest.
“You shouldn’t have to drive into Boston to get a good donut,” Garwin said. “The beauty of a co-op is that the members have a say in what we carry.”
Rather than stocking products chosen solely by a corporate office, Garwin said member feedback will help determine everything from everyday staples to locally made specialty items. She pointed to locally owned businesses like Farmer Tim, already a co-op member, as examples of the kinds of regional producers the organization hopes to support once the store opens.
Residents interested in supporting the project can become member-owners through the Charles River Food Co-op website. Membership requires a $200 equity investment, payable in one sum or through an eight-month payment plan.