New Day Cooperative Distribution started as a producer-owned grocery home delivery platform and has grown into an essential platform as a sales channel for small local food businesses. Devra Gartenstein is the co-founder of New Day who does a little bit of everything for her company - from tax forms to delivery driving.
Technically, New Day is owned by over three dozen small local businesses. Roughly two-thirds of their members' businesses are BIPOC-owned, women-owned, immigrant-owned, or LGBTQ-owned.
A fairly new operation, New Day was officially launched during the first wave of COVID-19 in June of 2020. This was a time when small food businesses needed a source for new revenue and customers needed grocery home delivery.
Gartenstein took a series of workshops on Food Business Finance that were hosted at Business Impact NW. She was very impressed with the people and the organization.
“[Business Impact NW] has helped me write a grant application, provided much-needed advice on New Day's business model, and supported New Day member-businesses by gifting local food boxes for Business Impact staff and board members this holiday season,” Gartenstein said.
Community-Driven Cooperation
When the company first began operating, its most valuable resources were the skills and engagement of staff and participating businesses. Their most valuable resources during the pandemic have been the skills and engagement of their surrounding community.
“To meet our next business goals, we need to keep building our network and partnering with organizations with complementary goals so we can build new connections while creating new opportunities for our member-businesses,” Gartenstein said.
New Day is a community-driven organization. They have a clear passion for growth and opportunity for themselves and those around them. They don’t just search for ways to help themselves thrive but seek to help guide other growing operations as well.
“We're most passionate about providing services in the form of sales opportunities for our participating producers,” Gartenstein said. “I'm passionate about this company because it's a direct and tangible way to help small businesses thrive.”
Alongside our on-demand food and farm business finance courses, you can also sign up for free dedicated business coaching from Business Impact NW's Food Business Resource Center.
