On the surface, UpRoot Market and Eatery might look like any other grocery store, with toiletries, fresh produce and frozen items.
But unlike many other stores, the market is non-profit and community owned.
"Members of the community all buy in together to become partial owners of the grocery store. So, we don't have one owner at the top raking in profits," General Manager Stacy Niemann said.
“We have currently 390, 395 owners who all have a say in sort of how our stores run, the products that we carry and what we do with our profits at the end of the year.”
The store had its grand opening on Wednesday, which attracted around 300 people, according to Niemann.
She added that many customers were drawn to UpRoot's focus on sourcing their products from the local community.
"We have a lot of brands that people aren't finding at other grocery stores or have never heard of," Neimann said. "They like the clean ingredients and all of those things and really loving the local produce."
She added that buying local helps keep their profits within the local economy, with the added benefit of keeping prices competitive.
“Being local helps us do that because you're not paying for all of the shipping, freight, warehousing. We're getting things directly from farmers into the store.”
According to Neimann, just under a third of their products are local, most of which can be found in the produce section.
But other departments have found ways to incorporate products from sellers in Battle Creek and other nearby communities.
"We do carry many, many local products, especially local body care products from makers just around the corner and some of our neighbors and Kalamazoo and neighboring towns as well," Wellness Department Manager Stevie Kircher said.
In addition to the market, UpRoot also has a café, which serves meals created from the same locally-sourced ingredients you can buy at the store.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
