On Thursday afternoon, residents got the opportunity to hear from the manager and board members of the Monadnock Food Co-Op about the store slated to come to Jaffrey within the next two years.

During an information session at the Jaffrey Civic Center on Thursday, Monadnock Food Co-Op General Manager Michael Faber gave a presentation on what the store, moving into the former Jaffrey Rite Aid at the corner of Route 124 and Route 202, will look like, followed by time for questions from the public.

The presentation included information about what will be shared between the already existing Monadnock Food Co-Op in Keene and the Jaffrey location, the scope of items sold there, and a fundraising campaign set to launch this summer to support the renovation and opening of the Jaffrey store.

The Jaffrey store will be similar in scope, though slightly smaller than, the Monadnock Food Co-Op’s current store in Keene, Faber said, and will provide a full grocery, produce, bulk foods, dairy, meat and seafood department, frozen foods, beer and wine, and a deli and ready-made food.

The Co-Op plans to complete financing in September and officially purchase the property — currently under a sales agreement — in October and start construction on renovations. While the Co-Op previously announced an opening date in 2028, Faber said that is a conservative estimate, and ideally, the store will be ready for shoppers by the end of 2027.

The Monadnock Food Cooperative is member-owned, and residents can purchase an ownership share for a one-time payment of $200. Customers do not have to be a member to shop at the Cooperative, but membership allows members to vote on the makeup of the board of directors, exclusive coupon deals and profit shares.

Membership at either the Keene or Jaffrey locations provides benefits for both locations. Owners who move out of the area can sell their membership back to the store for a full refund.

The Co-Op is also planning to launch a member-owner loan campaign this summer to finance the expected work on the new store. Faber said the campaign aims to raise a total of about $2.5 million to offset the total $10.5 million cost of the project.

Faber called it a “critical part of financing this project,” and a “tangible way to invest in your community.”

The campaign will have member-owners contribute funds. In a past member-owner loan campaign by the Cooperative to pay for an expansion of the Keene store, interest was paid annually on the loans, with a term of six to 10 years.

When asked about the impact of the upcoming traffic project and roundabout construction in the center of Jaffrey, Jaffrey Planning and Economic Development Projects Coordinator Jo Anne Carr said the majority of the roadwork should be complete by the time the store is ready to open. Projected timelines suggest that though the roundabout project is not complete by the summer of 2028, the major construction will be complete, with 2028 used to complete paving, striping and landscaping.

When asked about parking, Faber said the site has a total of 65 spaces, and the Cooperative has been working with the town to ensure that there is enough off-site, but nearby, parking to allow workers to park in public spaces to ensure there is enough space for shoppers.

When asked about the possibility of electric vehicle charging stations, which are available at the Keene location, Faber said it was unlikely, at least right away. The Keene stations were installed using grant funding that would not be available at the Jaffrey location.

The Monadnock Food Co-Op accepts food accessibility programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and Double Up Food Bucks, which gives SNAP beneficiaries half off fresh produce. The Co-Op also has its own assistance programs, including Healthy Food For All, which provides a 10% discount on Co-Op purchases for those on unemployment, eligible for WIC or EBT, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or a letter of eligibility from a community partner organization.

The Monadnock Food Co-Op will host a second information session on Wednesday, July 22, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the American Legion in Jaffrey. The session includes an informational presentation and a question-and-answer session.