The Marshfield Village Store has been a mainstay in town since it was built in 1868, serving up coffee, sandwiches and conversation. This year, while the menu will stay the same, the store is evolving into a worker-owned cooperative.
Its five new owners raised $700,000 from anonymous donors to purchase the building and its inventory on February 7. They have formed a governance group and make all decisions together. Ultimately, any of the dozen or so people who work at the store will be able to become owners, too, and their share of the profits will be linked to how much they work.
