Prairie Food Coop

Prairie Food Co-op (PFC) marks a milestone as the first community-owned food cooperative in DuPage County, and our team was honored to design its 7,500-square-foot home in Lombard. With a mission centered on boldly fresh, local produce, the interior design is intentionally clean and simple—allowing the products themselves to take center stage. Sustainable and locally sourced materials were prioritized throughout, alongside energy-conscious building systems that reflect PFC’s commitment to environmental stewardship.

The journey to this opening began long before design started. In 2013, a small group of residents—including members of our team—set out to create a community-owned food co-op. Early efforts included neighborhood events, site evaluations, and visits to other cooperatives for inspiration. By 2022, Prairie Food Co-op entrusted us with designing their first permanent location.

Design meetings often unfolded around kitchen tables, fueled by shared snacks and sticky notes. Together, we hand-selected materials and refined layouts to ensure the space was durable, sustainable, and true to the community’s values. The existing 12-sided structure, built in 1961, provided both challenges and opportunities, ultimately becoming a unique canvas for this collective vision.

Now open, Prairie Food Co-op is more than a grocery store—it is a welcoming space, built with care and shaped by the community it serves.