Today we’d like to introduce you to Rita Daily.
Hi Rita, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 1975, a ZZ Top concert was held as a benefit for the UT Student Association. After the concert, a few co-opers appealed to the student government senate and secured some of the concert proceeds for the Austin Co-op Project. ACP made about $5,000 available for Wheatsville’s start-up, and other funds came from College Houses and Frank Cook. Wheatsville co-opers rented the basement at 29th and Lamar, bought as much equipment as they could afford, and stocked up on the bare necessities.
On March 16th, 1976, Wheatsville opened its doors! Wheatsville took its name from the 1869 freedom town, Wheatville, named after James Wheat, one of the first freed black men in the area to own land.
Back then, Wheatsville was run by “turnups,” co-opers who “turned up” to work. They stocked the 2×4 and cinder block shelves, unloaded the trucks, did construction work, cleaned the floors, counted the money, and locked up at night – all without pay and simply because they believed in what they were building together.
In 1980 an opportunity arose to move into a larger location and thus expand selection and service. The Kash Karry grocery store on Guadalupe was gutted and completely remodeled by volunteers. However, the large debt accumulated during the remodel nearly put the co-op under.
The move was a major factor in increasing the professionalism of running the business. A manager and paid staff were hired and took the co-op to a more highly organized and efficient level of operation. Wheatsville went through several lean years before becoming stable in the late 80s. From then on the store grew slowly more
successful (with a few lean years) until we did a complete renovation of our Guadalupe location in 2009. Our growth since the renovation was so strong that we were able to open our second store at 4001 S. Lamar in September, 2013.
From small beginnings, Wheatsville has grown into the most successful food co-op in Texas. However, we still remember our roots—dedicated to the principles of cooperation, we remain committed to our founding ideals of community control, social action, and environmental responsibility.
In large part due to our Guadalupe location closing by the end of 2026, we are now on a mission to raise funds in order to replace that store and expand even further throughout Austin. As the city has grown, our owners have moved further out of the city center and we would love nothing more than to reconnect with them and meet some new folks along the way!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like with most things, there have been good years and bad. Economy shifts, inflation and completely unexpected hiccups like the pandemic have hit us hard – but haven’t been able to stop us yet! Of course, there are always the structural and equipment repairs to deal with. At one point we even had Mangiasaurus (the big ol’ dinosaur on top of Guad) falling through the roof due to structural issues of the building. Terrible in the moment… kind of hilarious in hindsight. Despite any struggle we’ve had, Wheatsville has long been a staple of the community and we very much feel its support when things start to go south.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m currently the Marketing Director for Wheatsville, though I wear many hats at the Co-op. My background is in Art Direction and Design (10 years with Central Market), so I take particular pride in the work I’ve been doing to rebrand and update the co-op as a whole. It’s a long, grueling process, but one that I’m extremely passionate about.
My first project upon being hired was redesigning our Community Room at the South Lamar location – now known as the Bluewillow Lounge. It’s something the team had been talking about doing for years, but never had anyone take the time to actually execute it.
When I’m given a new project, event, or idea to work with, my mind tends to run wild and I will passionately- and immediately- go after that goal. Even if it’s not technically something expected of my role… or that I even know how to do in the first place… I will always figure out a way.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Despite the major growth and influx of residents to Austin, I love that our city maintains its personality and uniqueness. We still have a number of quirky, fun, community-minded businesses and tend to be a city that fully embraces a broad spectrum of culture. From live music, to theater and insanely talented chefs, we’ve got it all. However, due to the economy and said influx, I’m saddened by the number of local mom n’ pop businesses that have gone under due to the rise in cost of living/operating. Wheatsville is, of course, not immune to this and we truly hope we get to remain a part of Austin’s ever-changing landscape.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wheatsville.coop/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheatsville/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wheatsvillefoodcoop
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wheatsville-food-co-op-austin?osq=wheatsville
Image Credits
Lauren Black
Wheatsville Staff
