Pictured left to right: Mark Sonnenfeld, Courtney Miller- Carter, Erin Bender, Jim Razzano, Sharissa Hermanson, Chuck Rice, Jamin Hubner, Nell Krsnak, Cassie Kindred, Paul Abbott, Dylan Weltmer
“ We want grocery shopping to be the highlight of your week. We want it to be something fun — something you actually look forward to,” said Sharissa Hermanson, General Manager at Breadroot Natural Foods Co-op. She, the Breadroot staff, the board and over 2,300 members want to see a transformation in the region around how people buy and consume their food.
“We offer high quality, good, healthy and reasonably-priced options for people,” Sharissa said. “And other places just can’t compete with our locally-produced products. Plus, it’s just a really pleasant shopping experience.” Breadroot started over 20 years ago when a small group in Rapid City wanted to create more opportunities for themselves and others to buy whole, natural and organic food in an affordable way. This small club started in a living room but quickly grew out of that space. And after out-growing a few other buildings, Breadroot now offers its shoppers a full grocery shopping experience in its current location.
Sharissa wants everyone in the area to know that they don’t need to wait for certain national chains of grocery stores to come to the area to be able to enjoy natural and whole foods — residents of the Black Hills already have access to an outstanding selection of organic and natural foods, and they have for a while.
Breadroot is open to members and non-members alike. “Becoming a member only takes a small investment of $20 each year,” Sharissa explained. And the benefits of being a member quickly add up. “You get 5 percent off locally-produced products, you get access to member-owner appreciation events and you’re able to order in bulk,” Sharissa went on. “And members get to be a part owner of your grocery store. How neat is that?”
100 East Boulevard North
Rapid City, SD 57701