Concord Food Co-op Acquires Café Indigo

The Concord Food Cooperative is pleased to announce that they have acquired a licensing agreement and the Café Indigo bakery/food prep facility in Concord.

The Co-op currently carries many vegetarian and vegan desserts made by Café Indigo at the Co-op’s Concord and New London locations. Recently, Café Indigo owner, Patti Dann, was chatting with the Co-op’s General Manager, Paula Harris, about her desire to retire and spend more time with her grandchildren. The conversation quickly turned into a win-win opportunity for both businesses and the Concord community.

Café Indigo is an award-winning vegan café in Concord located on Hall Street.
Starting July 1, the Co-op will take on the lease at Café Indigo and will continue to prepare Café Indigo’s recipes with the current Café staff for sale at the Co-op and other Café Indigo wholesale accounts.

“Some things in life have a way of coming full circle. Seven years ago I took a vegan carrot cake down to the Co-op to see whether Paula and the team would be willing to carry it as a local product. The Co-op happily agreed, and Café Indigo was born,” explains Dann. “While we were busy growing Café Indigo, we welcomed the addition of our first and then second grandbaby. And last month we welcomed our third grandchild. I found myself wanting to spend more and more time with my children and grandchildren and last month made the decision to close the restaurant on Hall Street.”

The Co-op staff is pleased to take on Dann’s legacy to provide the community with delicious food that can be hard to find elsewhere.

“This is such a magnificent opportunity for Co-op customers and members,” said Harris. “Café Indigo is a nationally recognized brand with a great reputation for providing some of the most delicious vegan baked goods, seitan, prepared foods... and of course the amazing carrot cake!”

Although the Co-op will no longer operate the Café Indigo restaurant on Hall Street, all of the Café Indigo items traditionally sold in the restaurant will be available in the Co-op store on South Main Street.

In addition to offering the classic Café Indigo options, the Co-op hopes to designate a space to create a certified organic and gluten-free line of products.

“Our Co-op customers have been requesting more vegetarian and gluten-free options, and this segment of the market is growing at a very rapid pace,” explained Harris.

Nationwide, 11 percent of households purchase gluten-free food, which has doubled in the past four years and is expected to double again in the next four. The Co-op is one of just a few stores in the state that is well stocked with gluten-free products, and the staff has definitely seen an influx of customers looking for foods that meet their special diet needs. The Co-op hopes to integrate more vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free products into the catering menu to provide customers with even more choices.

“As a Co-op, we must be responsive to the needs of our members. The ability to assume operations at Café Indigo was an absolute home run and provided us an easy solution to the growing demand for these products. Café Indigo is a great fit for our mission,” said Harris.

“Since I already have a fully equipped commercial kitchen and bakery, why not have the Co-op take over the space and turn it into a certified organic facility with a gluten-free section as well. I am honored and humbled by the idea and mostly I am very happy that the carrot cake and other popular Café Indigo products will stay in the place where they were born,” said Dann.

These days, you’ll find Dann enjoying her retirement at the park pushing children on a swing or at the Co-op buying some of their favorite Café Indigo treats.

Everyone is welcome at the Co-op! You do not need to be a member to shop or take part in the Co-op’s programs. The Co-op has two store locations: 24 South Main Street in Concord and 52 Newport Road in New London, NH. Visit concordfoodcoop.coop for directions and more information about upcoming programs and events.

Submitted by Concord Food Co-op.