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KC Kosher Co-op Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

About Our Products

Order Logistics

Pick Up Logistics

Contact

Miscellaneous


About our Products

Q. How big is the product selection of the Co-op?
A. The Co-op product catalog contains thousands of items, generally many more than you could possibly find locally. We tried to design this website with intuitive product categories and an excellent search feature to make identifying products simple.
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Q. Are all the items on the Co-op website kosher?
A. All the items carry kosher certification, though some may or may not be acceptable to you, depending on your level of kashrut. Unless marked otherwise, all meat is Glatt Kosher. If you have a question about a specific product, please contact your local Va'ad or Kashrut Authority.
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Q. How can these products be so cheap?
A. You are buying in bulk which yields lower prices. Additionally, our overhead is dramatically lower than a grocery store.
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Q. I want the food even cheaper, is that possible?
A. Right now we are working with only one distributor that we selected because of their incredible product diversity. If the Co-op is successful, we plan on integrating additional distributors into our product catalog. These distributors will be able to offer cheaper prices on specific items such as meat and cheese. If you have a specific distributor to recommend, please feel free to contact us.
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Q. Are these the same prices that a store would pay for these items?
A. Not quite. We still have a certain amount of overhead--delivery charges, fuel surcharges, freezer rental space, website development, check cashing fees, labor hired on delivery date, etc. To cover this, we add a small mark up.
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Q. Is the cheese in blocks, shredded, sliced, or individually wrapped?
A. We have marked all shredded, sliced, or individually wrapped cheeses, so if it is not marked otherwise, the cheese is in blocks.
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Q. What do the products marked with an asterisk, “*” mean?
A. Products marked with an asterisk, “*” is to indicate that those products are approximate weights. So though your order may be for 40 pounds (depending on the product), the actual delivered product will vary—may be 38 or 43 pounds for example. You only pay for the actual weight shipped, so at the time of pick-up, we will either give you a check for the difference in price if the item is a lower weight, or you will need to give a check if the item is slightly heavier. We are sorry for this complication, but this is no different than how a store purchases these items.
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Q. Are products that are Chalav Yisrael marked as such?
A. We have put in the product description "Chalav Yisrael" for some products. However, there are products that are Chalav Yisrael that are not yet marked as such. If you have a question about a specific product, please contact us.
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Q. Are there institutional size products available?
A. We have over 550 institutional products available, but they are not listed on the website. Please Contact Us and we can send you the list. Institutional items are generally used by hotels or butchers. The food is not individually wrapped and some items actually need a saw to separate them (some meats).
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Q. I want a specific product, can you get it?
A. Please Contact Us and we can see if we can obtain the product you are looking for.
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Q. Where can I find hechsher, nutrition, and ingredient information that is not available on the Co-op website?
A. Usually putting the brand and product description into a search engine (like Google) will bring up information about that specific product. As effort allows we will start adding picture and nutrition information.
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Q. Are prices guaranteed?
A. Prices constantly fluctuate, especially with the rising energy costs. We absorb real-time price changes unless it is significant in which case the Co-op member will have to pay the difference. As of the writing of this question we have never had to ask a Co-op member to pay the difference.
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Order Logistics

Q. Can I split my order with someone else?
A: Absolutely! You can arrange a split on your own or you can use the Product Splitting Page.  Remember that the person who places the order is responsible for paying for and picking up that order.

Please make it a habit when you are shopping to also check the Product Splitting Page—arranging splits with other members benefits everyone.

A) If you are on the Product Splitting Page and see a product you want to split, just click “Ask to Split” and you will be guided through the split process.

B) If you are shopping and you see a product that you would like to split…

  1. Click on that product’s link.
  2. Click the “Split with Someone” button.  Doing so will add that product to a list on the Product Splitting Page that all Co-op members can view.
  3. If someone else decides they would like to split that product with you, they can contact you by clicking the link on the Product Splitting Page – an email will be sent to notify you that that person is interested.

Please note that putting a split product request on the Product Splitting Page does not add that item to your cart.  If you want to insure that a specific product is in your order, you will need to add it to your cart and proceed with the checkout process.

After a split is arranged, please remember to go to your personal Products You Would Like to Split page and remove those items.
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Q. How much is delivery?
A. There is no added cost for delivery. Delivery and fuel surcharge fees are built in to the small mark-up we add to the products.
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Q. Can I place multiple orders for the same Co-op delivery?
A. Yes, you can place as many orders as you like as long as it is before the order deadline. We will merge the multiple orders into one.
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Q. Once I place an order, can I change it?
A. You cannot cancel or change an order once you have sent in your payment, but if you have not yet sent payment, you can cancel an order by contacting us.
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Q. I received my items and something is wrong or damaged, what do I do?
A. Contact Us immediately with the problem so we can work it out with the distributor.
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Q. How do I get my money back if certain items from my order do not arrive (an item is out of stock)?
A. Some products will be out of stock due to availability during your order/delivery window. To help compensate for this, there is a pop-up during the checkout process to identify acceptable substitutions. This way if your product is not available we will replace it with one of the products you identified as an acceptable substitution. If an item from your order still does not arrive, we will be giving you a check for the difference at the same time you pick up your order. We wish we could avoid this potential frustration, but this is the same treatment a store would receive if it were trying to place an order--sometimes manufactures are simply not producing a certain item.
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Q. I need a lot of food soon, is there some way I can get a special delivery?
A. We have a minimum required order from our distributor. If you happen to require a particularly large quantity (well over a thousand pounds), we will try to arrange for a special delivery.
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Q. How many food deliveries are there per year?
A. Delivery frequency varies by location. Some cities only have four deliveries per year while other cities have a delivery each month. Deliveries will be as frequent in your city as the order quantity can support.
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Q. When is the next food delivery?
A. The next food delivery date is listed on the top of our website. If for some reason we do not gather the order minimum by that date (not expected to be an issue), we will contact everyone to let them know there will be a delay.
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Q. How do I pay?
A. We only accept checks. After checkout you can pay online or you can decide instead to mail us a check. If you decide to mail a check, you need to do it a few days before the order deadline because for your order to be placed, we must receive payment for your order by the order deadline.
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Q. Can I see my order history?
A. Yes, if you have placed orders previously you can see those orders by selecting the Past Orders link at the top of the website.
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Pick Up Logistics

Q. How will I be notified of the delivery?
A. There will be a reminder email a few days before the delivery reminding everyone of the pick-up time and location. As circumstances may arise that we cannot control (eg: delivery truck breaks down), we have a hotline with up-to-the-minute status on the delivery time. To get the hotline number please log in to the website and you can see it on the homepage. After you login, delivery status will be on the homepage as well.

The Co-op Hotline number is: (913) 712-9205.
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Q. My order contains refrigerated and/or frozen food. Will it thaw before I pick it up?
A. All food is delivered in a refrigerated truck. We recommend arriving as early as possible during the pick-up window so your food is exposed to heat as little as possible. The food is fine if picked up within a couple hours of unloading from the refrigerated truck. Keep in mind that the food will also be in boxes that help provide insulation. For those ordering ice cream, you should coordinate with your local "Co-op Director" to meet the truck as soon as it arrives (which will be before the general pick-up window).
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Q. Where do I pick up my order?
A. Log in to the website and your deliver location will be listed in the upper right of the webpage.
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Q. Something came up and I will not be able to pick up the items. Can I arrange a different time?
A. Unfortunately for now we must request that you find an alternate person to pick up your items. You will need to email us that alternate person’s name or be available on the phone for us to call to verify the person is authorized to pick up the items for you.

If there is an absolute emergency, contact us and we will do our best to work with you. We will actively monitor our email the day before and the day of deliveries in case someone contacts us with an emergency situation.
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Q. It is difficult for me to load/unload the items, can you bring them to my house?
A. We would like to work with you. Contact us and we will work with local agencies to attempt to provide this service. If this does not work out, we can arrange for a car service to bring the food to your house, but you will need to cover the fee of the car service.
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Contact

Q. How do I contact you?
A. Please use the “Contact Us” form which will send your question to us via email. We check email frequently.
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Miscellaneous

Q. Is this your full time job?
A. No, the co-op was originally created as a service to the community with no intention to make a profit. Now it does provide some supplemental income, but it is limited due to our minimal mark-up from the prices we receive.
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Q. Now that I'm buying kosher food in bulk, I need a freezer, any recommendations?
A. There are great freezers out there that have very low annual electricity costs (under $45/year). To view freezer ratings by a major consumer products rating magazine, please click here.
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Q. How do I remove my membership?
A. Please use our contact form to email us and we will remove your registeration information.
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Q. You don't deliver to my city, can you start?
A. Getting a delivery is quite simple, but there are certain criteria that must be met before we add your city. Please Contact Us and we will try to work with you.
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Glossary of Terms

Retail Packages These are packages that are the size one would buy in a store--generally 1-2 pounds each. Each "Retail Packages" order will contain a certain number of these packages.
   
Family Pack or Economy Pack Larger than a single serving package. For example, instead of a bag of chips from a vending machine, "Family Pack" would be a single large bag of chips that would feed several people.
   
Poly Wrapped Individually wrapped in loose plastic (not vacuum packed)
   
Camp Cut TBD
   
KAJ Glatt kosher hechsher (K'hal Adath Jeshurun)
   
LUB Lubavitch Hechsher...Glatt with additional stringencies
   
Institutional Institutional items come in a big box, not individually wrapped.  So a box of chickens may come all frozen together, and you will have to manually pull them apart and re-package them.  You also may have to trim off the necks, etc (if they are chickens).  Also, items like the Back Ribs (institutional) one would need a saw to deal with this product.  Please only order Institutional if you know what you are ordering--this is generally a product used by hotels or butchers.