Food Co-Op offers cuisine, community

Since 1975, Binghamton University’s Food Co-Op has been a place for full stomachs, and even fuller hearts. Now, with a newly renovated space, it has no plans of stopping.

The Food Co-Op is completely student-run; volunteers do everything from working the storefront as cashiers to managing the kitchen. The menu is ever-changing, always completely fresh and vegan. Molly Heit, the former general manager, said the Food Co-Op allows students to be creative and in tune with what they eat.

“This is a place where students can be more free with how they express themselves through food and cooking as a community,” Heit said.

Last year, the Food Co-Op went through a semester-long closure as the Union Undergrounds were renovated. With no other allocated space to resume its service, the co-op’s visibility on campus was limited. To maintain a sense of community, it held group meetings at Heit’s house to discuss reopening plans and hosting some other events during the lengthy renovation, including bake sales and farm tours.

Now back in business, things are looking different than had been planned for this semester due to COVID-19. There is currently no seating inside the co-op’s storefront, as every meal is served to-go. There are also plexiglass barriers separating the staff and their customers, as well as stickers on the floor reminding customers to stand six feet apart. Inside the kitchens, fewer students are working so social distancing guidelines can be properly followed. And, of course, customers and staff alike must wear face coverings at all times.

Though the co-op is located in the same space it inhabited before, in the Union Undergrounds, it now has more kitchen equipment, which allows for a bump in production, even if fewer students are in the kitchens. In addition, the co-op walls are now completely glass. The new layout has made the co-op significantly more visible and accessible to students.

The Food Co-Op serves up a lot more than food, however. On Fridays, it typically hosts a live music event known as its “tiny desk series,” though these have been postponed until further notice due to social distancing guidelines. The co-op also works to connect students to local farmers’ markets and plans to hold future events at the farmers’ market in downtown Binghamton.

The Food Co-Op also prides itself on its environmentally friendly attitude. In addition to being vegan, co-op chefs utilize locally sourced ingredients.

“We feel that these practices minimize the environmental impact of eating and consuming in the most environmentally conscious ways,” said Heit. “This helps to minimize carbon emissions.”

A place for everyone, the Food Co-Op also serves as a learning space, said Heit.

“People who end up coming to the Food Co-Op feel very comfortable there. It’s a critical student collaboration space where other like-minded missions can come together, because it’s not only about cooking or buying things. It’s about sharing space and bonding,” Heit said.

Even though patrons can’t share physical space for the time being, the sense of community that the Food Co-Op provides through food will not be going away anytime soon.

For those looking to get involved in the Food Co-Op, email foodcoop@binghamtonsa.org for access to the weekly volunteer sheets. If you’re looking to grab some food, it’s open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Be sure to check it out on instagram, @bingfoodcoop, for the weekly menu.