The Merc Co-op

I always love going here because it does not feel huge and overwhelming, but it is big enough to have everything a larger store has. The atmosphere is calm and the people there are nice. There are usually many free samples. I usually get a turkey, bacon, and sprouts sandwich, which is always very flavorful and delicious. Their bakery items also are delectable. Some may find their items pricey, but the quality of the foods there are certainly worth the price. If you’re looking for a local, organic food store in Lawrence, definitely give the Merc a try.

First and foremost, just to preface this review, yes I am a born and bred Californian, but I am not a hippie or a hipster by any means.
Now even though I currently don’t cook as often as I’d like to, the Merc is one of my go-​to stops for grocery shopping. Not only are you helping out local farmers in the area, the Merc helps support many school programs and non-​profit organizations around the Lawrence area. Win-​win! I also have tremendous respect for the small organic AND non-​GMO farmers out there stepping it to the «man» of big business food production. As a former USDA employee, our country truly needs to educate themselves on where our food supply is coming from. Well enough of that…
To start off, the Merc is big, but not TOO big. As I mentioned earlier about my lack of cooking, I don’t go grocery shopping every single week, and so at some stores, I easily get lost and distracted since I just end up perusing the aisles. No, sir, not at the Merc! And even if you do happen to feel a little out of sorts, the employees are SO incredibly helpful. Oftentimes when I need help at some «big-​named, traditional» grocery store, I cannot for the life of me find a free employee, let alone a happy-​to-​help-​you one, to point me in the right direction. At the Merc, you’ll find an employee in almost every other aisle stocking or helping another patron, and they don’t just point you in the right direction, they will (Parks and Rec’s Chris’ voice) literally walk you to that exact place, with a smile on their face!
One day, I also tried using a Co-​op coupon for an item that they didn’t carry in stock, the clerk checked with his manager who gave the «okay,» and still applied the coupon to a similar item! I was blown away. Most stores probably wouldn’t have done that. I have also dined from their hot food bar multiple times when I crave a «home-​cooked meal», and am always pleased with the outcome.
And don’t get me started on Sundays! On Sundays, the Merc definitely does NOT skimp out on their samples. One recent Sunday early afternoon, I had some smooth, Lawrence-​roasted coffee, various kinds of oranges, dark chocolate, and an array of chips and snacks. I admit, if you make a couple rounds, you can get a decent meal. I have also tried out several of their cooking classes, which have all been great experiences. At one class, I learned how to make my New Orleans-​style bread pudding, which was a hit last Christmas party I attended.
Though the prices are not always the cheapest (I mean, when you have a locally-​owned Co-​op grocery store versus the big box, corporate grocery store that has the advantage of economies of scale, what do you expect?), the Merc engages in community events and donates to local non-​profit organizations, and by the attitude of their employees, probably pays them well.
Give ‘em a try!

If Whole Foods isn’t expensive enough for you… or doesn’t afford you sufficient opportunities to show off your artisanal beard wax while shopping for organic, pasture-​raised raspberry greens, then you may like the Merc. Hippie food at investment banker prices. Why ever shop here? They have a great selection of interesting and fresh fish & a formidable and worthwhile cheese counter as well as a few products it is hard to find elsewhere around town. The coffee counter and baked goods seem decent. Some interesting frozen desserts. That said, it would be both too expensive and too annoying to shop here regularly. Like criminally expensive. And you could never find real corn flakes, paper towels, or ketchup. Just artisanal, hippie versions that aren’t as good as the real thing and three times as expensive. Oh my god, just try to find a decent pickle in the whole place. Hippies.

Good place and good quality. But the price is a little bit higher.
I go there to buy some fruits, they are really nice

This is my grocery store. Love all the recent changes! :)

I love carrot cake and the Merc has the best in town. You buy it by the slice. They’ve also got a vegan carrot cake which I’ve tried because they were out of regular. It tastes just like the regular and was very tasty. The only other place with good carrot cake in town is The Roost. Their produce is a little more expensive than HyVee but they have the size and brand of ghee that I cook with so I stop by sometimes. I try to not go too often because I just can’t pass up the carrot cake when I’m there.

I eat the quinoa burger and kale salad at least once a week everything is amazing though

All in all a solid 4 stars for Yay! I’m a fan. Am I going to buy *everything* at The Merc? No. But it’s a great specialty store, with an even better purpose. Unlike, say, Whole Foods, this is a co-​op. It’s very active in the community, & anyone (with $ 75, made in payments) can buy a share for member benefits. (It also happens to be where my credit union is located, which is very convenient for me & good for sales for them because I always buy kombucha when I’m in).
Some of the reasons I like The Merc:
— Supplement my grocery shopping, particularly in the bulk dept. & meat dept. – when the Farmers’ Market isn’t open, or I didn’t roll out of bed in time, or, more often than not, I decide last minute I want something nowhere else has at 9pm on a Wednesday (like nutritional yeast to top my popcorn or a cocoa nib Bat Bar or a particular magazine…).
— To buy gifts for co-​workers & baby showers & whatnot. Great card selection, spices («Wood + Salt») & such in pretty bottles, bath & beauty products (like «Zum,» the same price as similar products in beauty stores but without the unwanted additives).
— I like supporting a locally owned co-​op that supports local people, businesses, & organizations. Enough said.
— Great customer service.
Room for improvement:
— Selection/​variety, in both products & prices, particularly in the nonperishable, frozen food, & prepared food sections. To shop here for meals, it really takes planning ahead to utilize the best things about the store (like bulk) *and* not bust your budget. (I don’t plan a lot of meals ahead, so shopping for everything at The Merc isn’t realistic for me.) I also would like more regional products from, say, Colorado, Oklahoma, Nebraska.
— The space could be utilized better. A space planner could do a lot there. Going back to wanting more selection/​variety, there isn’t a lot of choices (in sauces & condiments, for example), for the amount of space they take up.
I look forward to the updates they’ve been making. I actually haven’t tried the coffee or juice bar… yet…

This local market is similar to a Whole Foods market. It has a wide selection of organic, fair trade and gluten free as well as vegan products. I stumbled upon it on my entry into Lawrence and found it to have a great selection of cheeses, meats and olives and a variety of fair trade chocolate bars. They even have mate in their teas! I also found a good bag of cassava root potato chips with sea salt. The cashier I had was somewhat patronizing, however. Overall this market has a wide selection of products of good quality at decent prices and I would consider shopping here again.

I was so happy to discover this place on one of my visits to Lawrence. Staying in a nearby hotel, and not really knowing anyone in the city, I wasn’t sure where to get some healthier meals than the pub fare on the main drag. Not only did I find many of my favorite national brands, I got to try out plenty of locally made products, from the bath and body department to the fresh foods deli. And it’s right next to a huge park, so you can take your picnic out to the greenery on a nice day.

Not bad. Too many aisles taken up with homeopathic remedies (aka waste of money). The cheeses were moderately prices and good. The bulk selection was nice. The tortilla chips I purchased there (Green Mountain Gringo brand) were terrible. I do not live in Lawrence and only went to this store because my adult daughters wanted to stop there. I wouldn’t make this my regular grocery store.

The Merc is a place in Lawrence WHERE YOU MUST BE SEEN, but as you have probably figured out by now, I could really care less.
I have been to THE MERC exactly twice and have not been impressed. Not sure what all the hype is about other than the fact that they are the only game in town … OH, HOW I MISS WHOLE FOODS! I guess if you are a hippy, yuppy, Bohemian. or metrosexual,
Whatever you do, do not buy their Oil of Oregano!!! You can buy 1 ounce of «pure» Oil of Oregano online for $ 25, but THE MERC sells it DILUTED WITH OLIVE OIL FOR $ 25-​$ 60 an ounce. I knew far more about the product than THEIR EXPERT and after educating her, she blew me off.
I am sure I will get some hate mail for this and again … I COULD CARE LESS!
CombatCritic Gives THE MERC 4 Out of 10 Bombs Based On Value … BOMBS ARE GOOD!

«Is this parsley or cilantro?» The check-​out staff doesn’t ask that here. Don’t get it? Might not be the place for you.
Long-​time Merc member here, big fan of the store. It’s more than a grocery store, really. I consider Lawrence a rich town largely in part due to this spot of grocery and deli heaven.
I owe my life to this place, literally. A few years ago I came to the conclusion (as did my doctor) that even though I was the right weight for my height and exercised regularly that my cholesterol and diet were not right. First stop, the Merc for a consultation with their dietician (Hilary) and a casual consult with Nancy O., the head of their educational services. That problem is now solved, and you didn’t need to hear the story (and I don’t feel like telling it). Try getting that kind of service at Hy-​Vee.
Prices: yes, they can be high, but nothing approaching Whole Wallet… I mean Whole Foods in Kansas City. But here’s the trade-​off: hands down best vegetables in the city. Much of the produce is local and the quality is like nothing you can get at Dillon’s, Hy-​Vee or Checkers. Not even close. What is the price of the dead & wilted vegetables at Dillons? Highest quality local meats, and the seafood is of spectacular quality. Their butchers know their craft and I often ask and receive custom cuts. Best steak in town? Not at a restaurant, it’s at their meat counter.
The deli: yea, pricey, but darn fine. And, you *can* get a healthy lunch or dinner here that tastes great. I really need to eat healthy on a regular basis to offset those frequent trips to KC for BBQ! The dining area is a great spot to catch some wi-​fi as well.
Vitamins? Nowhere in the region that I know of with people more in tune with what’s right and what’s not. Unparalleled.
Great cheese selection!
So pricing, for me it comes down to quality. Why buy crap that’s cheap, way past its shelf life and doesn’t taste good or is already spoiled.
There’s your overpriced food.

This review is strictly for the cooking classes. During the summer (and maybe other parts of the year?), the Merc offers cooking classes for $ 20. The classes are about 2 hours long and you get to taste each of the dishes made; in my class there were about five. The dishes were delicious and the Chef (Chef Paige to be exact) was engaging, offering a variety of helpful tips and tricks. Not to mention I now have five new and exciting recipes to try!
I live to far from the Merc to shop here, but I’m sure I’d love it if I did, really, you can’t go wrong with the cooking classes, though!

i like the Merc. If I lived in Lawrence, I’d be part of the co-​op. I am a fan of large Hy-vee’s, but I love Trader Joe’s on Ward Parkway. I love organic markets, not like Whole Foods, but more like Natural Grocers in Overland Park.
In the Community Mercantile, the staff are so even effing keel, everything is so relaxed, it reminds of drinking a cup of hibiscus tea when I walk into the doors. Or it reminds me of other things that are relaxing… any way. The staff are so relaxed and happy.
I go through the doors, knowing the prices, but there’s comfort knowing the store isn’t laden with GMO’s for the most part, and the fruits and vegetables are from a certified organic farm.
It’s expensive for farmers to become certified organic farmers. Hence the prices inside organic stores and markets. The produce is fresh, crisp and pretty. I almost bought a jicama, but it was way over priced. I probably should’ve bought it. Yellow beats, fresh asparagus, strawberries, lemons, gorgeous produce. Sometimes produce is unique.
The bakery has gluten free muffins better than the muffins I make at home.
When I go to the Community Mercantile, I mostly look at produce and the rice aisle. I know, lame, but it’s all I’m interested in there. The Community Mercantile serves a purpose. I’ve always liked it.
There’s a credit union ATM in the same location.

To keep in the spirit of only writing Unilocal reviews about food, I’m only going to comment on the deli and café at The Merc.
Okay, so I know I’m a sucker for coops in general — toss the words «green,» «sustainable,» or «locally sourced» at me and I’ll immediately be your friend. Put up a sign about bringing my own reusable grocery bags and I might just fall in love with you. So I know that going into the Merc, I’m biased to begin with because a little part of me is just dying to be a hippie…
Those biases aside, the Merc really does have some great organic coffee. I stopped in because I needed a midday caffeine boost and had some lovely, full-​bodied espresso. FYI for newbies, you don’t pay at the café — they’ll hand you a piece of paper with a PLU on it and you go up to the cashiers to check out.
I’ve stuff at their salad bar before as well, and it’s a good option for busy nights when you don’t want greasy takeout. Since it’s a local coop it’s not the cheapest option, but I like knowing it’s there for me.
Maybe that’s what I love most about the Merc: the fact that, even as a poor grad student who can’t afford to go here often, I know that it will always be there when I need some almond butter, a fresh spring salad, or some darn good organic coffee.

The Merc is a funny place. The prices will scare most consumers away immediately. That is the #1 mistake people make. If you really shop the store and compare various items with the usual grocery stores in the area, the prices aren’t that outrageous. But yea i do agree, some items are overpriced and I’m still skeptical in regards to the whole organic/​holistic approach to nutrition and health sometimes.
I wouldn’t recommend joining the Merc’s Coop unless you shop there a ton. If you have the extra cash and don’t mind, then go for it. You will save a little money on items throughout the store.
Now Im a huge fan of Whole Foods and the Merc doesn’t compare to them. But again, it has some good things going for it. Their bakery and coffee area is one of if not the best in the city. Their Pumkin breads and lemon cakes are so good. Venture over and try out there fresh baked cookies, scones, and muffins. Delicious! They have a small salad bar area that is good. Their hot breakfast and lunch selection back by the produce section is extremely tasty. My go to breakfast is their burritos and quiche’s. A little on the expensive side but worth it. Both will be stuffed with fresh veggies and eggs. Meat choices available too.
The Merc has a huge fresh Tea leaf section along with whole coffee bean section as well. The isles are the smaller variety but have all the offerings of a normal grocery store. Just on a smaller scale. There is a fine dairy section in the Merc. You will also find a large vitamin and hygiene/​beauty area of the store.
The employees are super friendly and helpful. Checkout times are fairly quick. The weekends can get crazy in the Merc.
Take advantage of their community classes they offer throughout the month. Tons of different classes that usually range around $ 5 or so to attend. Cooking classes, coffee classes, etc.
Oh yea, they offer free wifi in their dining area which is quite cozy for what it is. Not a bad spot to grab some Broadway coffee and a pastry or a bite to eat.
Again, I wouldn’t expect too many large size families on a budget to shop here all the time. The Merc is a nice change of pace compared to the normal Hy-​Vees and Dillion’s of the world. For some reason, students sure seem to love this place. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that The Merc has products placed all over the campus at The University of Kansas.

Overpriced but nice quality.
I like going to The Merc to purchase vegetables during the prime vegetable growing seasons here in Lawrence. They have a nice variety of local farm goods that always taste better than whats shipped in. The rest of their store is a bit overpriced but the quality is there to support the inflated price on some of the goods. I recommend Natural Grocers on 23^rd over The Merc. It’s much more affordable and the quality is equal to or higher than The Merc.

Being born and raised in the PNW, I’m pretty choosy when it comes to my food choices. Thank goodness for the Merc: the one grocery store in KS that makes you feel like you’re on the west coast again.
I have only been to the Kansas City – Lawrence – Topeka area as a visitor but, I have to say, I didn’t find anything else like the Merc during all of my travels. During week-​long trips, it’s my first stop every morning so I can pack a lunch for the day.
So hats-​off Merc-​ers! You should know that I rock my Merc t-​shirt all the way out here in Orygun!

Love it! You can’t beat the mileage marketers on all the produce — you know your eggplant is from 28miles away and your grass-​fed beef is from central KS! The quality of products the Merc carries is outstanding and definitely welcoming in Lawrence. Their cheese selection and prepared food are very tasty. They carry really fresh meat and seafood. The bulk selection of tea, spices, nuts, granola, grains and baking mixes are varied and reasonably priced. I love the quinoa and the falafel mix.
They also offer great cooking classes. For $ 35 you get a night of entertainment with a trained chef preparing tasty dishes following that nights theme. I’ve attended nearly a dozen and never been disappointed. From Vegetarian India to International Flatbread, you always get samples, recipes and great interaction with the chef!