For every food fanatic who has ever dreamed of upping the ante and opening a restaurant, why not start with something more manageable? Join a food co-op.
These worker-owned grocery stores have shed their hippie aura from the '70s and are offering better products than ever before: The bruised apples of the past have been replaced by local kombucha, cardoons, and grass-fed beef frankfurters, available alongside bulk items like red lentils sold by the pound. And with foodies flocking to co-ops, the number of such stores is expected to double in the next five years.
"Co-ops have become more sophisticated as mainstream grocers have added organic and natural foods," according to Stuart Reid, food co-op development specialist at the Food Co-op 500, a co-op booster organization. Find a local co-op through cooperativegrocer.coop, or find out how to start your own at foodcoop500.coop.