Peach pyramid on a co-op produce display

A manifesto for cooperative grocery

Grocery stores that operate soundly, boards that govern with purpose, and communities that center service above all else.

By any beans necessary.

17,000+ Members$14M Annual Sales10 Years~70 StaffUE Local 667

§01Mission

Tyler Kulp serves the food cooperative movement by supporting the growth of grocery stores that operate soundly, serve their communities well, and govern with purpose.

His approach rests on three pillars: running efficient, profitable food retail operations; delivering dynamic, welcoming customer service that centers community; and building sound governance through board education, training, and active member engagement.

§02Three pillars

P.01

Operations

Running efficient, profitable food retail operations.

P.02

Customer Service

Delivering dynamic, welcoming customer service that centers community.

P.03

Governance

Building sound governance through board education, training, and active member engagement.

§03Portrait

Tyler with an oversized carrot — Fig. A · Tyler Kulp, founder

Tyler is currently based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he's the Interim General Manager of Bethlehem Co-op Market — a store that doesn't exist yet, which is exactly the point. Before a co-op can open its doors, someone has to build the plumbing behind them: vendor and community partnerships, board communication systems, and the early hires and processes that turn a good idea into an actual grocery store — and so, so much more.

His career began in State College running farmers markets and a production kitchen at Tait Farm Foods, then deepened over ten years at East End Food Co-op — from café to cheese purchasing to produce management before becoming General Manager in January 2024.

Under his leadership, EEFC grew to more than 17,000 members and $14 million in annual sales, while he managed a staff of roughly 70 and reported to an elected Board of Directors.

That tenure meant learning the parts of grocery management that don't show up in a mission statement: negotiating a labor contract with UE Local 667, securing a ten-year commercial lease extension, writing a three-year strategic plan, and leading EEFC's first preferred shares capital campaign.

§04Field notes

"Before a co-op can open its doors, someone has to build the plumbing behind them."

Fig. B · 250 E Broad St, Bethlehem PA · future home

§05Movement

Tyler is also a co-founder and contributor to Garlic & Roses Media Cooperative, a worker-owned outlet that covers food co-ops the way food co-ops actually talk about themselves — with real reporting and, occasionally, real humor.

He co-chairs the steering committee of the Mid-Atlantic Food Cooperative Alliance and advises developing co-ops like Aliquippa, Pennsylvania — proof that people will still show up for a PowerPoint if the subjects are grocery retail and cooperative governance.