A Kelowna co-operative grocer with a focus on locally grown and seasonal foods could be forced to close up shop after a slow May.

One Big Table has served the Kelowna community for nearly two years at its downtown St. Paul Street location, but a dwindling cash reserve has left founder and co-operative director Giulio Piccioli asking if it乌鸦传媒檚 feasible to stay open.

On June 25, One Big Table aired its financial strife in a public plea on Facebook.

乌鸦传媒淭he situation has been delicate for a few months and because of the month of May, we decided to reach out to our members first and to the community as a whole,乌鸦传媒� Piccioli said.

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乌鸦传媒淚n May, we went from barely above the water to below the water essentially.乌鸦传媒�

To ensure the doors can stay open, One Big Table staff asked its nearly 1,200 members to bring friends in to the shop, buy gift cards and spend a little more on each visit.

乌鸦传媒淭he most important one is to come to the shop and support us,乌鸦传媒� he said.

Piccioli hoped the Facebook post would start a conversation about participation and the biggest question he乌鸦传媒檚 asking is does the shop provide a service deemed necessary in the community?

乌鸦传媒淲e have had lots of community support,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淔irst and foremost from our members乌鸦传媒攚ho are our owners.乌鸦传媒�

Piccioli said if members spent $5 extra per visit, 乌鸦传媒渋t would put us in a position where we乌鸦传媒檙e not as worried.乌鸦传媒�

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Now, the co-op director is asking members and the public to join One Big Table for its annual general meeting July 10 at the CoLab Space at 1405 St. Paul Street. Anyone interested can save their spot for the AGM on .

The company乌鸦传媒檚 financials have been released online in order to prepare shareholders before the AGM to encourage a 乌鸦传媒渂etter conversation,乌鸦传媒� Piccioli said.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e not asking something that is too difficult to reach,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭he main goal is to spark a conversation with our members first and the community as a whole.乌鸦传媒�

The struggles the local food grocer is experiencing is evident of a larger problem, Piccioli said.

乌鸦传媒淭here is a big argument to be made around the real cost of food and that conversation of local isn乌鸦传媒檛 relevant right now due to the high cost of food,乌鸦传媒� he said.

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The prices of the goods and produce sold at One Big Table support local farmers in the Okanagan. They represent fair wages and best businesses practices, said Piccioli but the cost is often undesirable compared to bigger chains stores.

乌鸦传媒�(These prices) are a clear reflection of what goes into food production, rather than importing foods from different parts of the world,乌鸦传媒� he said.

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