The seeds of Purple Porch Food Co-op were sown in 2009 when a few friends gathered on a painted purple front porch in South Bend, Indiana. They had visions of making the local food system more accessible, transparent and fair. The dream soon sprouted up into a weekly farmers market where the community could connect directly with local farmers, growers and entrepreneurs. Those small sprouts grew into a fruitful harvest by 2014: a brick-and-mortar cooperative grocery store located downtown South Bend. Now with over 1600 member-owners, the Porch continues to strengthen the local economy while creating, shortening and solidifying our local food supply chains.
Open to everyone 7 days a week, the Porch offers a bounty of fresh produce, local meat, dairy and eggs, packaged grocery, self-care and wellness products and fair-trade gifts. Our journey towards sustainability is highlighted in our bring-your-own-container-please bulk department, where we sell everything by the pound. You'll find fair-trade and organic herbs and spices, loose leaf teas, locally roasted coffee beans, grind-your-own nut butters, liquid soaps and olive oil, flours, grains, beans, locally grown rolled oats and more. Our on-site deli uses local and organic ingredients to prepare fresh ready-to-eat recipes, including our famous breakfast burritos, hot soups, prepared salads, sandwiches and catering options. Purple Porch maintains its early roots by continuing to host a weekly Wednesday farmer's market, where shoppers can purchase directly from local vendors using cash, credit, EBT/SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks.
We prioritize sustainability, transparency, intentional inclusivity, equity and community. Purple Porch strives to be not only a welcoming space, but also a leader in food justice and social responsibility — paying our employees a fair wage and our suppliers a fair price for their goods. In 2019, rooftop solar panels were installed, and in 2020 we began ongoing partnerships with food rescue organizations to reduce our contribution to the earth's food waste issues. Our store loves hard on hundreds of local and regional products, and fills in the gaps with quality national brand offerings to provide a one-stop-shopping experience unlike any other in downtown South Bend.