The co-op revives its barbecue tradition while celebrating community and fresh food
By ALMA CULVERWELL — city@theaggie.org
The Davis Food Co-op recently hosted a three-hour Game Day Cook Out to celebrate the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 9.
The Deli at the co-op offered various traditional grilled game-day favorites, including chicken teriyaki skewers, cheeseburgers, bacon-wrapped hot dogs, chili and vegan dogs, as well as classic picnic sides. The co-op also offered a wide selection of beer and non-alcoholic beverages.
Additionally, the co-op offered a celebratory sale on game-day essentials including 12- and 24-packs of beer, party wings, baby back ribs, chips, salsa and guacamole ingredients.
The co-op originally started as a buying club in a living room in 1972, but over the years, it has transformed into a full-service grocery store cooperatively owned by over 8,000 local households, becoming a staple of the Davis community.
Liliana Agredano, the marketing director for the co-op, explained the longstanding tradition behind the co-op hosting barbecues and the motivation for reviving them.
“We used to do cookouts, actually way back in our heyday, like [the] ‘80s, ‘90s, early 2000s,” Agredano said. “I think it was a certain specific day of the week. The co-op would just have a barbeque outside and people just knew to go. We are attempting to bring it back in the best way we can. So this is kind of our first one of the year, and we’ll likely be doing more going forward.”
Agredano also shared the thought process behind planning their first-ever Super Bowl event.
“We kept it quite simple for this first one,” Agredano said. “It’s going to be hot dogs and burgers and skewers. Basically we wanted to stick to the classics of what you usually have when you’re doing a barbecue, and we do always have a vegan option. We provided vegan hotdogs, sides and a beet poke.”
It is events like this that make the co-op a beloved pillar of the Davis community. Sanjeevini Dobhal, a third-year biological sciences major, explained why she frequents the co-op.
“I love the co-op because of its strong sense of community,” Dobhal said. “It’s a place where you can find fresh, high-quality food while supporting local farmers and businesses.”
Meghan Van Note, a third-year international relations major, similarly chimed in on her positive experiences at the co-op, praising their customer service.
“I love the co-op because they have the best produce,” Van Note said. “The workers there are really sweet.”
Looking ahead into the rest of the month, the co-op has a variety of new and exciting events planned for community members. Agredano described what she is most looking forward to within the next couple of weeks.
“We have two really fun events in February,” Agredano said. “We have a Citrus Fest where we’re going to have four of our local citrus farmers come and interact with customers, answer questions and let people try the citrus from their farms, as well as the varieties we currently have at the co-op. We’ll also have recipes for people to try, and citrus experts from the California Department of Food and Agriculture talking about the importance of citrus groves and how community members can care for their own citrus trees.”
With the return of community barbecues and more engaging local events, the Davis Food Co-op continues to serve the community, fostering connections and providing residents with sustainable, high-quality food.
Written by: Alma Culverwell — city@theaggie.org
