How the Marino Rocks Community Coop formed and then rallied to buy their fav local cafe (aka meeting place) before it became another property development

Laura Willis Dr Ariella Helfgott and Christopher Mardell are founders of @marinorockssocial owned by the Marino Rocks Community Coop.  In this fourth and final interviews with #coop owners brought to you by @bccm (Business Council Cooperatives & Mutuals) we talk about how the #localcommunity rallied to buy a long-standing local cafe (and building premises) from the original #businessowner. 

The #owner had attractive offers to sell the site to a #propertydeveloper but instead sold to the newly formed #coop which ensured that the #business stayed as a central #localmeetingplace.

It's an inspiring example of #communitypower and taking the initiative to form the #coop and buy this critical local business. In our discussion we cover;  

• working with @bccmua and the process for registering the #coop
• why this #cafe and #meetingplace was so important in #marinorocks #southaustralia - without it the community wouldn't really have anywhere else that it can gather, to eat together and to have a glass of wine in the evenings
• how they rallied #locals and recruited members who ended up being locals and visitors from further afield
• how they then financed and purchased the business and #businesspremises
• the history of the #café back (1961 ) and it's origins as a #fishandchipshop, then #caferestaurant
• why the #businessowner was so instrumental and passed over more money to be part of it
• #buildingcommunity
• finding professional #hospitalitystaff
• #coopvalues and #coopprinciples
• generative rather than extractive relationships
• #sharedpurpose
• the power of #sharedownership and #commonpurpose
• #sustainability #purpose #sustainableseafood
• the #founders practical learnings for aspiring #coops
• and finally the big realisation - "If we don't do it, it's not going to happen" and away goes this business which was and remains a key part of the local commercial and social infrastructure

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Reach out to Michael Kerr via the website if you need personal assistance or advice for your small business.

michael.kerr@kerrcapital.com.au

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