Locally Black-owned supermarket, Renaissance Community Co-Op, located in Greensboro will soon celebrate its second opening year.
The RCC mission is to serve fresh and affordable groceries to the community.
“It was the community that actually came together to make sure this was put here and that everyone in the community had somewhere to get fresh and affordable produce for their family,” said Jada Dunn, bookkeeper and assistant store manager of the RCC.
The idea of a community-owned grocery store came about in 2012 to solve the food desert issue within the community. The RCC credits their foundation due to the closing of the local Wentworth in 1998.
Neighborhood residents created the RCC Steering Committee to begin creating and planning for the operation of the co-op. The RCC Committee elected Leo B. Steward as President back in 2012; from there, the RCC Committee raised $2.45 million to begin the project.
The RCC stands out due to its commitment to serving the community and owned by community members.
Majority of the products including fruits and vegetables are all locally owned and grown in North Carolina. In addition to the fresh local produce, the RCC hires from the neighborhood providing training and opportunities to develop a customer-focused team including students.
When walking into the RCC you can expect to see a well-organized layout with genuinely helpful staff. The RCC works diligently to provide a quality service to the people of the community.
“I like the atmosphere, and how you can come in here and actually get help,” said Dominique Benton, an employee at the RCC.
“Visually everything was laid out, the employees were very helpful asking us if we needed anything, and that made the experience better,” said Demetri Cephus, a Greensboro resident, and first-time customer.
Cephus first heard about the community co-op through her church, Mount Zion, which partners with the RCC.
The RCC is working on starting deals and discounts to accommodate the community and the local students who are on strict budgets.
Since working at the RCC, Benton says he wishes the community would start showing up and supporting the RCC more. He believes if the community knew what a co-op was and its purpose for the community then there would be more business coming into the store.
The RCC main purpose is for the community and it needs the support of the community in order to prosper and be successful.
For more information, make sure to visit The RCC, located at 2517 Phillips Avenue in a Plaza.
