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Collection Overview
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The collection contains the business records of the Duck Soup Coup Co-op of DeKalb, IL from 1974-2015, when the store closed. The records consist primarily of the company’s administrative, financial, personnel, and membership records. Also included are meeting minutes, newsletters, and photographs as well as advertising and marketing records and documents regarding business partnerships and example business models from other health food co-op organizations.
Researchers should note the presence of material related to special events, festivals, and fairs from DeKalb, Sycamore, and the surrounding communities, which Duck Soup Coup was highly dedicated to serving.
Collection Historical Note
Founded in 1974 by the restaurant staff of Juicy John Pink’s, Duck Soup Coup was a consumer cooperative, member operated whole foods outlet store that sold natural, organic, and specialty foods and other everyday items. Once a members-only organization, its members voted to open up to the public in 1990. By 1986, Duck Soup Coup grew to be the largest food co-op in the state of Illinois.
Duck Soup Coup, who prided itself on being a mom-and-pop operation, modeled its business structure on a reformed version of the guidelines of the 1844 Rochdale Plan established by the Rochdale Weavers’ Guild in England, which was recognized as the first co-op organization. These principles advocate for a cooperative business that is democratically managed by its working and voluntary members, makes products available in bulk, provides member benefits and discounts, limits store operation expenses to the bare minimum in order to afford additional goods and services to members and customers, and supports continuing education and the overall cooperative movement.
Duck Soup Coup was located at 129 E. Hillcrest Drive for 40 years until the members of the store voted for its closure in the spring of 2015. The Co-op closed due to major fiscal losses occurred in the previous year that led to outstanding debt and the inability to pay for approved loans.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Northern Illinois University
Alternate Extent Statement:
6 digital files (909 MB)
Access Restrictions:
There are no restrictions on access to materials in the collection.
Use Restrictions:
Property rights in the collection belong to the Regional History Center; literary rights are dedicated to the public.
Physical Access Note:
Generic Ads for Northern Star (4), 2004-2005 and Owner Manuals for August 1999 and November 2002 are contained on 3.5" floppy disks (box 4). The files have been copied from the disks to V:\ARCHIVES\RCElectronicArchives\RC 344 Duck Soup Coup. Researchers may access the electronic files in the Center’s reading room.
Duck Soup Coup Spec Tape in the 1996 Adverting folder is on cassette.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Box:
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Box 1],
[
Box 2],
[
Box 3],
[
Box 4],
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Box 5],
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Box 6 OV],
[
Oversize Drawer 37],
[All]
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Introduction to Duck Soup Coup, Feb-86
- Folder 2: By laws, 1976, 1980-1989
- Folder 3: Owner Manuals, 1994, 1996-2002
- Folder 4: Planning Committee, 1985-1986
- Folder 5: Transition, 1987-1989
- Folder 6: Transition Committee, 1989
- Folder 7-13: Board Minutes, 1987-2015
- Folder 14: Board of Director Training
- Folder 15: Non-for-Profit Annual Report, State and County, 1989
- Folder 16: Future Goals, Priorities, and General Improvement Plans, 1989-1990
- Folder 17: Bennis/Nanus Notes
- Folder 18: Agreements and Accounts, 1987-1988
- Folder 19: Store Lease, March 1990- February 1993
- Folder 20: Building Loans, Surveys, and Plans, 2001
- Folder 21: Commercial Lease, November, 2003
- Folder 22: Legal Documents, GM Evaluation, Letter, and Development, 2006
- Folder 23: Manager Contract, Board Member Guide, and Community Consulting Group
- Folder 24: League of Women Parliamentary Procedures, 30-Mar-84
- Folder 25: Cash Drawer Statements and Company Drafts, 1989
- Folder 26: Price Comparisons, 1989
- Folder 27: Ledger, Sales and Equity, 1989-1991
- Folder 28: Operations and Cash Loans, 1990
- Folder 29: Budget, Asset, and Income Statements, 2003-2012
- Folder 30: Invoice, Pricing, Receiving, Booking, and Computer Notes
- Folder 31: Personnel Manual
- Folder 32: Personnel, 1989
- Folder 33: Staff Meeting, 14-Feb-89
- Folder 34: Member Worker Policy and Contracts
- Folder 35: Member Labor Guidelines, 28-Nov-89
- Folder 36: Member Labor Information, 1996
- Folder 37: Employment Applications
- Folder 38: Management, 1985
- Folder 39: Manager Evaluation, 1987
- Folder 40: Supervisory Skills
- Folder 41: Assistant Coordinator Position, 1983
- Folder 42: Worker Orientation, 1994-2012
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Membership Fee Records, 1978-1989
- Folder 2-12: Memberships, 1982-1986, 1988-2014
- Folder 13: New Members, 1989-2008
- Folder 14: Member Orientation, 1989
- Folder 15: Committee Membership Lists, 1989-1990
- Folder 16: Member Survey Analysis, 1988
- Folder 17: Member Equity, 1989-1997, 2008
- Folder 18: Member Coupons, 1999, 2002, 2007
- Folder 19: Membership Cards
- Box 3
- Folder 1-2: Membership Cards, 2012-2013
- Folder 3: General Meeting Minutes; Agenda Announcements, 1982-1983; 1996-2010
- Folder 4: Member Day, 17-Aug-91
- Folder 5-13: Newsletters, 1975-1998, 200-2009, 2012, no date
- Folder 14: Food Notes, circa 2002
- Folder 15: Deli Menus
- Folder 16: Item and Price tags
- Box A-C: Employee and Membership Cards
- Box 4
- Folder 1: DSC Cook Book
- Folder 2: Recipes
- Folder 3: Customer Receipts, 2012
- Folder 4: DSC vs. Janet Razbadouski, 1989-1991
- Folder 5: Correspondence, 1992-1996
- Folder 6: Correspondence and Research, 1998-2009
- Folder 7-15: Event Calendars, 2005-2014
- Folder 16: Corn and Pumpkin Fest, 1990-1993
- Folder 17: Arts and Crafts Sale, 1992-1993, 1997
- Folder 18: Alternative Energy Fair, 2003-2005
- Folder 19: Renewable Energy Fair, 2007-2009
- Folder 20: Soup making instructions
- Folder 21: Photographs of storefront construction, circa 1990
- Folder 22: Publicity and Merchandising, 1989, 1993, 1997
- Folder 23-38: Advertising and Merchansiding, 1994-2013, no date
- Folder 39: North Farm, Board of Directors Minutes, 1989-1990
- Box 5
- Folder 1: North Farm, Finance Committee, 1989
- Folder 2: North Farm, Planning Session, 1989
- Folder 3: North Farm, Education Committee, 1989
- Folder 4: North Farm, Retail Store, 1989-1993
- Folder 5: Bloomberg Prairie General Membership Meeting, August 1992-1993
- Folder 6: Cooperative Grocer Articles, August 1987-October 1990
- Folder 7: Cooperatives information and news, 1989-1991
- Folder 8: Co-op America Business Network, 1994-1995
- Folder 9: Food Stamp Regulations, 1988
- Folder 10: DeKalb County Disposal Rates, 1989-1990
- Folder 11: "Health businesses in DeKalb County work to maintain New Year's resolution boon" in Daily Chronicle, 4-Jan-15
- Box 6 OV
- Item 1: Duck Soup Coup pot holder
- Item 2: Duck Soup Coup ceramic plaque
- Item 3: Public Auction notice poster
- Item 4: "What’s In The Oak Cooler?” sign
- Item 5-8: Season’s Greetings posters
- Item 9: "What Is Fair Trade?" display poster
- Item 10: "Sustainability In The Classroom" poster
- Item 11: Duck Soup Coup sign
- Oversize Drawer 37
- Item 1: Remodel display poster
- Item 2: "Health Of People Go Organic" display poster
- Folder 1: Certificates (11)
Browse by Box:
[
Box 1],
[
Box 2],
[
Box 3],
[
Box 4],
[
Box 5],
[
Box 6 OV],
[
Oversize Drawer 37],
[All]
