Revisiting the Coralville Opening - 25 Years Later

Back in 2001, Xbox and GameCube ruled living rooms, Apple had just unveiled the very first iPod, and OutKast’s “Ms. Jackson” was at the top of the charts. Meanwhile, I was three years old, when on February 14th of that same year, the Coralville New Pioneer opened its doors for the very first time. Now, 25 years later, I chatted with New Pi staff who lived through those early days to understand the store's development, community shifts, and the process of opening the Coralville location at its inception. 

 

When I spoke with Eric Creach, New Pi Iowa City's current Assistant Store Lead and the 2001 Java Juice Bar manager, he mentioned that the site now occupied by the Coralville Store was once a movie theater—I had no idea! Residents from the 1990s fondly remembered the Coral IV theater. Founding New Pi member Theresa Carbrey, who served as Member Services & Education Manager in 2001, noted the pride everyone felt in reusing the building instead of demolishing it or starting anew. “They had to fix so much construction,” Creach explained, “because of the sloped theater floor. Plus, the basement was only half its current size; the original plans didn’t include a full basement, but we built one anyway for a wine cellar.” Chad Clark, now Cedar Rapids’ prep foods supervisor and the 2001 Assistant Store Lead, agreed that “the basement was one of the most dramatic features.” Creach also recalled sealing the floors with coworkers during winter, but without heat in the store, their work was compromised. Once heaters arrived, they realized the floors had been sealed incorrectly and had to wear hazmat suits during the curing process. Ultimately, the Coralville store got its basement, and if nothing else, few experiences bond a team quite like accidentally fumigating yourselves before the heaters are turned on. 

The Coralville store is entirely unique for many reasons. Creach remembered having lots of enjoyable events there, like the birth of the Wine Freakout, now called Sip & Savor. “We hosted so many lively tasting events—having our own parking lot made it easy to throw gatherings without needing permission from the city to close a street—which is still true today!” Billy Woodruff, who is now the Center Store Coordinator for all three New Pi locations but was Iowa City's Center Store Coordinator in 2001, recalled that people nicknamed the Coralville store “Shinyville.” He said, “Everyone would say, ‘Everything’s so big and fancy over in Shinyville!’” Another special feature was the mezzanine, designed for educational and cooking classes. Creach commented, “The teaching kitchen and those classes were among the best things we offered at the time.” 

Everyone I spoke with had so much to say about the bakehouse! Especially recalling the daily aroma of fresh baked bread. This led me to dig through New Pioneer's old Catalyst newsletters and learn more about the Bakehouse and why it was such a big deal. I found that the original bakehouse opened in Coralville in 1995 at 1st Ave and 5th Street. The oven arrived in hundreds of pieces—brick, metal, insulation, mortar, slate, and coils. New Pioneer brought in Christian Pozzar from France, and he assembled it entirely from memory using skills handed down through generations, without written instructions. 

When the oven was relocated to the Coralville store, Sue Andrews (today is the Director of Purchasing and formerly the Wellness Coordinator in 2001) and Woodruff recalled rebuilding it brick by brick. Pozzar had left instructions, but they were only in French—and remember there was no Google Translate for assistance! Despite this, the team reconstructed the oven and began baking bread for the Iowa City store by November 2000, even as construction continued. 

Jason Peters (formerly Coralville bakehouse staff, now Assistant Unit Team Lead at our commissary kitchen) recalled being allowed by the health department to train and bake bread for the Iowa City store before construction was complete. He remembered how strange it felt to work in the middle of an active construction site and even recalled contractors smoking cigarettes indoors. Oh, how times have changed! 

At that time, this type of artisan bread was exceptionally uncommon in Coralville and throughout the entire Corridor. Although the iconic brick oven is no longer operational, it remains visible in the seating area of the Coralville store, tucked away in the corner. That’s not a fireplace—you are viewing the very oven that was constructed meticulously, brick by brick. 

A recurring theme in my discussions was the strong commitment to supporting local producers and the pride in how many of those producers got their start at the Coralville and Iowa City stores. Many have grown into regional and national brands with the Co-op’s early backing, including Kalona Super Natural, Farmer’s Hen House (now Pete & Gerry’s), Oasis Hummus, and Ecolips. Andrews highlighted the Co-op’s incubator role for these businesses, affirming, “We will continue to be this for our local producers, whether they want to stay local or expand nationwide.” 

Creach expressed strong agreement, remarking with excitement, “The way we’ve grown the local market is fantabulous!” He recalled that when he began, there were only about a dozen local producers, but now the number has grown significantly. To him, the heart of the work is “giving people who are doing something good a market to share the good things they’re doing. That’s one of the most rewarding aspects of what we do.” 

Carbrey highlighted the same dedication, especially when it comes to offering as much local produce as possible. She noted that supporting local producers often means more paperwork and more overall effort but emphasized that “it’s so worth it!” 

At the time, the decision to open a second store was considered controversial. The New Pi Board of Directors was divided on this matter, with numerous members expressing sincere reservations. “I mean, in a co-op nobody is getting rich,” said Cabrey. “The whole idea is that you are serving your owners’ needs.” 

Creach noted that some felt the concept was too progressive for Coralville, believing the community wasn't ready for this business model. 

Despite the team's belief in their vision, the early days of the Coralville store were undeniably difficult. Chad Clark described the first summer as “dramatically unsettling,” Staffing was cut down to a minimum, and managers were even placed on furlough to save money. 

Andrews highlighted that staff members consistently stayed grounded, noting, “The staff managed to stay rooted in the belief that the Co-op would succeed. We were passionate about providing great customer service and offering the highest quality products to our community.” Everyone I interviewed expressed this same spirit of resilience and collective commitment. 

Twenty-five years on, the Coralville store overcame early challenges and thrived, leading New Pioneer to open a successful third location in Cedar Rapids in 2014. 

To wrap up, I asked everyone about their vision for New Pioneer and co-ops in 25 years. Chad Clark responded positively, noting that progress starts with communities like New Pioneer. He wondered if co-ops might even expand to the moon someday, and emphasized that broader access to such places benefits everyone. 

Theresa hopes to see expanded access to locally grown produce, along with innovations in how communities grow food, particularly via indoor and urban farming methods. This evolving trend reimagines unused office spaces, malls, and other vacant buildings as hubs for food production. “I hope advancements will improve both the quality and affordability of fresh produce, making quality food more accessible for more people.” What’s exciting is that these developments are actively taking place. See this article! 

Creach echoed the theme of expansion, both in impact and possibility. He hopes the world will be a better place in 25 years, adding that “the co-operative model should be shared and celebrated throughout society. I hope we see healthcare co-ops, insurance co-ops, housing co-ops—everything!” 

As for Billy, he just wishes every store could resemble Shinyville. 

Join us for the 25th anniversary of “Shinyville” on Saturday, February 14th from 11 AM–1 PM with live music, cake, giveaways, and samples. Celebrate what makes New Pioneer a valued community member.