Weaver Street Market
Encyclopedia
Weaver Street Market is a worker- and consumer-owned cooperative
selling natural and organic food
with a focus on local and fair trade
products. The original market is situated in the heart of Carrboro, North Carolina
in Carr Mill Mall
and plays host to a large number of community events. It occupies a central location in the town of Carrboro and serves as a "community gathering place."
It has expanded to include a restaurant named Panzanella in Carr Mill Mall and two additional locations, one at Southern Village in Chapel Hill and another in historic downtown Hillsborough, North Carolina
.
During the course of 2006, some local residents expressed annoyance at new rules stating that all performances on the market lawn must have signed permission in advance from the owners of Carr Mill Mall
. The lawn area consistently holds events and entertainment.
In May 2007, plans were announced to open a third store in Hillsborough, North Carolina
and move the market's food preparation operations to Hillsborough for greater efficiency. Even though the plans were announced in May 2007, plans and employee feedback were included in the decision-making process since 2006. About 100 workers presented a petition in opposition to the plan outlining their concerns that WSM was growing too large.
Plans have been made in other locales to copy the success of Weaver Street Market; one example is in Boynton Beach, Florida
.
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
selling natural and organic food
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
with a focus on local and fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
products. The original market is situated in the heart of Carrboro, North Carolina
Carrboro, North Carolina
Carrboro is a town in Orange County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 19,582 at the 2010 census. The town, which is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan statistical area, was named after North Carolina industrialist Julian Shakespeare Carr.Located near Chapel Hill and...
in Carr Mill Mall
Carr Mill Mall
Carr Mill Mall is a small, local shopping mall located in Carrboro, North Carolina. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a host for numerous local live performances and other cultural events.-History:...
and plays host to a large number of community events. It occupies a central location in the town of Carrboro and serves as a "community gathering place."
It has expanded to include a restaurant named Panzanella in Carr Mill Mall and two additional locations, one at Southern Village in Chapel Hill and another in historic downtown Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
.
History
The market was started with a loan from the town of Carrboro.During the course of 2006, some local residents expressed annoyance at new rules stating that all performances on the market lawn must have signed permission in advance from the owners of Carr Mill Mall
Carr Mill Mall
Carr Mill Mall is a small, local shopping mall located in Carrboro, North Carolina. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also a host for numerous local live performances and other cultural events.-History:...
. The lawn area consistently holds events and entertainment.
In May 2007, plans were announced to open a third store in Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
and move the market's food preparation operations to Hillsborough for greater efficiency. Even though the plans were announced in May 2007, plans and employee feedback were included in the decision-making process since 2006. About 100 workers presented a petition in opposition to the plan outlining their concerns that WSM was growing too large.
Plans have been made in other locales to copy the success of Weaver Street Market; one example is in Boynton Beach, Florida
Boynton Beach, Florida
Boynton Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 60,389 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the city had a population of 66,714 according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research...
.