An impediment to healthy eating across America is the rising cost of food prices, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Ninety percent of adults say healthy food has gotten more expensive in recent years, with 60 percent stating those price hikes make it more difficult for them to healthy. That paradigm provides the foundation for Green Top Grocery in Bloomington. Walk through the doors, and you’re immediately struck by the vibrant, fresh produce and the robust selection of natural foods lining the shelves.

“I have people all the time coming every day. For some, it’s their first time here. They’re like, ‘Wow, this place is so cool. It’s so colorful. All the freshness throughout the store,’” said Green Top Grocery Interim General Manager Allison Smith, describing the reaction new customers have when they walk into the store. “I have folks come from out of town and they’re like, ‘Thank you for being here. It’s so different.’ We have natural foods throughout the store without all the chemicals. That’s what we’re trying to provide to our customers and our community. We want to provide that next level of food quality.”

Unlike a supermarket chain store experience, Green Top Grocery operates on a different business model by putting community ownership front and center.

“Green Top Grocery is a cooperative,” explained Allison. “It’s a community-owned grocery store focused on natural foods and local vendors. This store is unique. There’s really only seven in the whole state.”

The cooperative structure means that customers can also be owners in the business.

“We have more than 2,600 owners, and they all have a vote,” noted Allison. “Day-to-day, we’re run by a general manager, operations manager, and employees on the floor.”

Growing from the ground up

The roots of Green Top Grocery’s roots can be traced to a group of Bloomington residents who recognized a critical gap in their community’s access to healthy food options.

“In 2007, a group of local Bloomington residents got together and knew the importance of being able to provide local natural foods to our community,” explained Allison.

“Before the store was built, this was a food desert. There was no grocery, and fresh food anywhere in the heart of Bloomington,” stated Allison. “By opening near downtown, we have helped provide the availability of food in downtown and around it.”

Operating as a cooperative presents a unique set of opportunities and challenges, as Allison candidly acknowledged.

“We are not corporate owned. Our direction does not come down from a corporate office,” said Allison. “We run the store as efficiently as we can.”

As for Allison, her path to Green Top management was unexpected, but driven by genuine passion for the mission of this brick and mortar. Her journey from board member to store leader reflects a community investment that makes this cooperative model work.

“I was on the board as Secretary, and this was kind of my passion. I have my other career (in real estate), but I started getting involved in the store and literally fell in love with it,” said Allison with a joyful smile. “We had some issues and financial struggles and everything (at Green Top). I said to myself, ‘You know what? You have got to do something more than Secretary.’ I put my boots on and I came into the store. We’ve been fine tuning and improving ever since I came on in March of 2024.”

A better way to eat

The philosophy that guides Green Top Grocery is more than a catchy slogan. It is a promise embedded in every aspect of the store’s operation.

“Our motto here is ‘Real People. Real Food, and Real Local. Each one of those words is absolutely true,” said Allison. “Our employees and our customers are real people. They’re all from the community. You can see by our shelves that it’s real food from farmers locally, small contributors, small distribution, and clean ingredients.”

The location of Green Top in the heart of Illinois farm country provides a great opportunity according to Allison. Greet Top focuses on connecting consumers directly with regional producers.

“We are in what we call corn country. Some of the richest soil, really in the world, is here in McLean County,” noted Allison. “We are very conscious of the food that we put on our shelves. We avoid high fructose corn syrup, yellow dye number five. Any additives that we don’t want in our food, we don’t carry it on our shelves.”

One of Green Top’s signature offerings is its deli, where the focus on freshness and local sourcing is on full display.

“We make almost everything from scratch every day,” Allison said with a smile, pointing towards the deli counter. “Our dairy is local milk, cheese and eggs and all that. It’s not just about the dollar. It’s what we put in our bodies that’s so important.

“Our customers like coming here because it’s not the big box experience. When they come in, we know their first names. We chat with them,” smiled Allison. “You’ll find customers with other shoppers or employees having chats at the end of the aisles, picking out their dairy, and comparing what they’re getting. Nobody’s in a rush. People stand by the deli, coming in for lunch and chat about what they’re buying and what they got this week. It’s just a warm, connective community. We’re all here for the same goal, and that’s to be together, eating local clean food.”

Relationships that matter

The backbone of the operation of Green Top Grocery is its extensive network of local and regional suppliers.

“We work with over 80 local vendors and farmers. Local meaning regional in Central Illinois,” noted Allison. “A lot of times they connect with us through our website. Some of them have been with us since the very beginning and our financial ups and downs.”

The pandemic revealed strengths and vulnerabilities of the business model of Green Top Grocery. As larger stores struggled with supply chain disruptions, the cooperative’s local focus provided unexpected advantages.

“During COVID, we were thriving because we don’t have the regular distribution that big box stores have. We had baby formula during COVID when big box stores did not,” said Allison. “But when things went back to normal, we were still digging our way out. We can’t buy in pallets. We have to buy in cases. So, our margins are smaller and we have to save. Finances are always going to be an issue.

“I think we’re not the only ones that have that problem. A lot of small retailers having those same financial issues, and it isn’t just us. I think it’s all small retail,” stated Allison. “Every penny counts. So having those smaller margins is always going to be an issue.”

In fact, Green Top faced potential closure in 2024 because of financial challenges. Allison said she made personal commitments to her local suppliers to ensure all local vendors would be paid first.

“We were weeks from closing before we turned the corner. I went and knocked on doors, shook their hands and promised that we would always pay them first,” said Allison. “I think our commitment to them creates their commitment to us as well.”

A community lifeline

The turnaround of Green Top Grocery today clearly illustrates the resiliency of this brick and mortar and the love of a community for this retail concept.

“Right now in 2025, we are thriving. Our sales are increasing every week. It hasn’t always been that way,” noted Allison with pride in her voice. “Back in 2024, we were literally weeks from closing. But our community came together and pulled us out of the depths, literally. Now, we have product back on the shelves. Our vendors are coming back, and we are looking forward to a bright future.”

For Allison, the significance of Green Top Grocery extends beyond business metrics to the fundamental role the store plays in the community’s wellbeing.

“Green Top Grocery matters because we’re providing a safe space for customers to come in and buy nutritious food,” said Allison.

“My husband asks me all the time ‘What is it about Green Top that makes you so happy?’ Literally when I walk in the door, it just feels like home,” Allison continued. “You know everybody is working so hard for a common goal. It is really important and fun to watch.”

Making a difference 

For Allison, the appeal of working in retail goes far deeper than managing inventory or balancing budgets. For her, Green Top Grocery provides a tangible impact on the lives of customers across Central Illinois.

“I love the feeling of customers coming in and buying the food off our shelves. I love knowing they’re taking it all home to their family and kids, and putting on the at the kitchen table to nourish their bodies and give them energy and grow strong,” said Allison with a smile. “I know what we’re selling here is a good product and a clean product. What we’re selling is making a difference in the lives of folks in Central Illinois.

“It’s not necessarily about the dollar here at Green Top Grocery,” stated Allison. “It’s about keeping our community happy and healthy.”