The Bethlehem Co-op Market Is Opening in Stages, and Three Thursdays Remain Before December

In October 2011, a Bethlehem resident went looking for a red pepper, according to the co-op's own history. A 2021 Morning Call report said the round trip to a supermarket and back took 40 minutes. That errand started the effort that became the Bethlehem Co-op Market. Fifteen years later, the store at 250 E. Broad St. has an opening day, Saturday, Dec. 5.

The co-op calls its rollout a "phased opening." Dec. 5 is the Opening Day event, and the phased opening began on Oct. 1. Anyone can already walk into the finished store, buy from the farms and makers it plans to carry, and tour the space. Dec. 5 falls in the middle of the opening.

The Building Is Done. The Store Is Still Filling Up.

The co-op updated its Store Progress FAQ on Sept. 21, 2026. It says construction of the store space is complete and the City has issued the Certificate of Occupancy. According to the same page, the remaining work is:

1. Setting up the point-of-sale system for inventory and checkout
2. Hiring and training staff, including a General Manager
3. Ordering and stocking inventory

The co-op says all three are "actively underway with strong support from our cooperative partners."

That list explains the shape of the next eight weeks. A store with a permit but no full staff or stocked shelves can still host vendors and hand out pre-packed boxes, and that is what the co-op is doing. Opening day will bring "an expanded array of different products, with limited hours," with a full product range and full schedule to follow. No regular daily hours have been announced yet.

Thursdays and Saturdays Are Different Events

Early coverage described the previews as one series. The Morning Call's Sept. 21 report listed all the dates together and described a limited selection of local vendors. The co-op's own pages split them in two:

• Thursdays, 4 to 7 p.m. Local vendors whose products will be in the store set up inside so you can shop with them directly.
• Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon. Mostly pickups of a curated box of locally sourced goods that you order ahead.

As of Oct. 11, Thursday sessions remain on Oct. 15, Oct. 29 and Nov. 12. Saturday pickups continue on Oct. 17, Oct. 24, Oct. 31, Nov. 7 and Nov. 14. If you want to browse, choose a Thursday. If you would rather have a box of local food ready when you arrive, choose a Saturday.

Who Is at Which Thursday

The vendor lineup is the most concrete preview of the store's identity, and it changes from week to week. Eight vendors are scheduled for every Thursday. They are Bluestem Botanicals, Bub's Breads, Dragonfly Hill Farm & Kitchen, Fresh Tofu Inc., Green Pond Packaging, High Point Kombucha, Meadow View Bees and Primordia Farm. Others come only on certain dates:

Oct. 15 and Oct. 29 have the largest rotating lineups. Oct. 15 is the only remaining date for Jenny's Kuali Sauces. Oct. 29 is the last scheduled appearance for Butterhead Kitchen and Haasis Gluten Free Bakery. Nov. 12 is the only Thursday for Stryker Farm and Nutty Novelties. The co-op notes that Thursday visitors can also tour the store, ask about membership and buy co-op merchandise.

At the first Thursday preview, WFMZ reported that visitors were sampling local products, and one shopper praised the local and gluten-free offerings.

What the Finished Store Is Built to Carry

The previews show the local end of the shelves. The full store is planned to be much wider. The co-op lists these departments:

• Produce
• Bulk foods, including spices, herbs, coffee, tea, grains, pasta, flour, oils and vinegar
• Everyday-value and private-label goods
• World flavors
• Refrigerated and frozen items
• Meat, seafood and cheese
• Prepared foods made in-house, hot and cold, plus a beverage bar and grab-and-go items
• Wellness products

An everyday-value department and a private-label line point to a store meant for the weekly shop, not just for specialty items. Bulk spices and a prepared-foods counter with a beverage bar make a weeknight stop for dinner possible. Like the hours, how quickly each department fills out depends on the stocking work the FAQ describes.

Getting There and Getting Out

The co-op's About page lists the practical details. There is a free parking lot with a two-hour limit, two EV chargers, bike racks and a bus stop. Carts use a quarter deposit, the system some discount grocers use to get carts returned. Reporting from 2021 mentioned a set number of shopper spaces, but the current terms are the ones on the co-op's own page.

The store takes up the ground floor of a four-story mixed-use building that replaced a one-story structure on the site, The Morning Call reported in April 2021. The same article placed it steps from the Main and Broad Street business districts, with two bus stops within a couple of blocks. The Morning Call has described this part of the Northside Alive area as a food desert. Its March 2021 report cited the USDA's food desert locator, which placed the store in a low-income area where a significant number of urban residents live more than one mile from the nearest supermarket. For anyone in that area, a full-service grocer within walking distance shortens the trip that started all of this in 2011.

How Membership Works, and When It Matters

Anyone can shop at the co-op. Becoming a member-owner takes a one-time $300 equity contribution, which comes with discounts, voting rights and access to a member-benefits program. The Morning Call adds that membership carries equity "if and when the store is profitable."

The owner base is already large. On Sept. 23, 2026, the co-op's homepage counted 1,750-plus members. Four days later, LehighValleyLive reported nearly 1,800. The co-op's own timeline records a campaign for 1,000 members by 2018, so the count has nearly doubled while the building went up. Thursday previews are a practical time to ask membership questions in person, and the co-op says money raised at the previews supports the official opening.

Why This Date Holds When Earlier Ones Did Not

Opening targets have come and gone before. The Morning Call tracked each one, in its March 2021, November 2024, March 2025, October 2025 and September 2026 reports.

The co-op signed its lease for 250 E. Broad St. in 2019. LehighValleyLive reported that the site was revealed to member-owners in March 2021, and that same year the co-op received a $2.9 million federal grant meant to cover opening costs. When The Morning Call checked in October 2025, co-op leaders blamed financial strain on effects of the pandemic and inflation. The paper identified one remaining technical hurdle before a date could be set, connecting the refrigeration to the building's cooling system. The delay also drew public questions, including at City Council.

The September 2026 announcement differs from the earlier ones because it came after construction ended and the Certificate of Occupancy was issued. The earlier targets were set while the building still had work left to do. The remaining items are staffing, software and stock, and the preview markets are running while that work goes on. "Now we get to welcome people into the store, fill it with activity, and begin doing what we've worked toward for so long," board chair Todd Mertz said in a statement reported by The Morning Call.

The next chance to shop is Thursday, Oct. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. at 250 E. Broad St. Keystone Cheese, Scholl Orchards, Crooked Tree Chicken Ranch, Jenny's Kuali Sauces and Valley Fruits and Vegetables will join the eight regular vendors.

A full-service grocer a short walk away changes daily life on Bethlehem's north side, and over time it can shape how buyers look at the blocks around it. If you own nearby and want to know how changes like the co-op figure into your home's value, the team at BHHS Paul Ford Realtors can walk you through it. Start with a free home valuation.