From Grassroots to Grocery. The Story of IVFC

Who Built This Co-op

From a Buying Club to a Countywide Cooperative Movement

The Isla Vista Food Co-op was born in the early 1970s during a time of social upheaval, local organizing, and student activism. What began as a small, community-led food distribution network soon evolved into one of the longest-standing cooperative grocery stores in California.

The Whole Wheat Buying Club: Where It All Began

Before there was a storefront, there was the Whole Wheat Buying Club—a grassroots effort organized by Isla Vista residents who wanted access to affordable, healthy, and whole foods outside the corporate grocery system. Isla Vista was divided into six “cells,” each managed by a volunteer organizer who distributed order forms and coordinated pickups.

Each participating household contributed $5 in equity to join the club and support storage and logistics. Every Saturday, over 450 households gathered in Anisq’Oyo’ Park to receive massive deliveries of goods—50 lb wheels of cheese, sacks of potatoes, fresh loaves of bread, and essential pantry staples—all divided and shared by hand. The buying club was not only a food system but also a vibrant example of cooperative economics in action.

A Student Project Becomes a Storefront

While the buying club thrived, its limitations—fixed order windows, reliance on volunteers, and lack of everyday convenience—sparked a desire for something more permanent. In 1972, a UCSB student activist, as part of an independent study project with the Sociology Department, proposed creating a storefront co-op that could operate daily and serve the entire community.

With a $13,000 loan from the Legislative Council of the Associated Students of UCSB, the vision became reality. In January 1972, the Isla Vista Füd Co-op opened its doors. Despite some initial resistance from those committed to the guerrilla-style ethos of the buying club, the storefront model quickly gained momentum. The buying club dissolved, and community energy shifted toward growing this new, permanent cooperative space.

Decades of Community Ownership & Resilience

From the start, the Co-op has been much more than a grocery store. It is an embodiment of cooperative principles, providing not just access to healthy food but also democratic control, member ownership, and a space for local culture to thrive. Over the decades, the Isla Vista Food Co-op has weathered economic shifts, industry changes, and even the gentrification of its surrounding neighborhood—without losing sight of its mission.

Through it all, the Co-op remained a hub of independent thought and values-based commerce. From the produce manager receiving deliveries from over 30 local farms, to artists hosting live music on the patio, to the sound of KCSB community radio playing instead of commercial ads—the Co-op has always made space for local voices and grassroots creativity.

In Janury 2024, the Isla Vista Food Co-op took a major step forward by opening the IVFC’s Downtown Market at 1533 State Street in downtown Santa Barbara. This expansion marks a new chapter for the co-op, building on its 50-year legacy to serve more communities with the same commitment to sustainability, accessibility, and democratic ownership. Unfortunately, the second store was ultimately unable to meet it’s goals and was closed in December 2025.

Still Funky. Still Fierce. Still Ours.

The Isla Vista Food Co-op remains the only community-owned grocery store in Santa Barbara County. Once thought to be a passing trend of the counterculture movement, it has instead grown stronger, proving that a locally owned, values-driven food system can not only survive – but thrive.
We continue to be guided by the same principles that started it all: Cooperation over competition, People over profit, Community over convenience.

Whether you’ve just discovered us or have been shopping here for decades, you are part of this story. Welcome to the Co-op.