Yountville’s Coop opens at the Commons
A new spot in town to casually gather and imbibe opened officially on Saturday, April 12, in the former snack bar space adjacent to the Kaneshiro Field baseball diamond on the Yountville Commons site.
The Coop by Hoopes, developed by Yountville vintner, micro-farmer and mom Lindsay Hoopes in partnership with the town of Yountville, is filled with farm fresh produce, innovative casual cuisine, eggs, wine, coffee and a clear mission to serve the local community.
It is open Tuesday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday through Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with seasonal hours to be determined throughout the year.
On the surface, The Coop may appear to simply be a cute outdoor café, produce stand and gathering place. However, it was originally proposed as the Yountville Farmstand and Farm Provisions Café and is one of the initial temporary uses at Yountville Commons, the former Yountville Elementary School campus purchased by the town last year.
The earlier installments at the site, which like this café were based upon studies and surveys of local needs, include the new Yountville Fit gym built in several former classrooms, an outdoor dog park created out of a portion of a ballfield and a revitalized Yountville Farmstand Garden, located in front of the former school.
Yountville Town Manager Brad Raulston recalled that when he arrived in Yountville two years ago, “the main issue was this idea that some people call ‘resident serving needs’ and others were calling for a local’s cafe.”
Blending the heritage of the site with the personality of Yountville, is evident upon arrival. Bright yellow and white striped umbrellas nestled beneath an enormous oak tree, are set against olive green structures surrounded by the chain link fence of the home plate backstop.
“It all just kind of came together,” Hoopes said, “Basically it is farm produce from the Farmstand Garden in front of the former school, a project of the town, also featuring our products and produce, and we use the kitchen to make the food.”
The former Little League snack bar that now houses the Coop is a fully-licensed commercial kitchen that was renovated several years ago by a team including chef Thomas Keller.
Created for locals, the Coop offers Yountville residents and workers 50% off the price of fresh produce, eggs and coffee and 20% off hot food items and wine. There is no discount on products such as packaged beverages that they do not produce.
Hoopes explained that in addition to their preserves and chutneys, they will also have a substantial collection of ready-to-go-meals made from garden produce.
Hoopes said she has noticed that “most people in Yountville don’t cook. There are a lot of singletons, and retirees, so they like cooked or half-cooked foods that they can take home.”
When Little League games are played, the Coop will serve as a concession stand, as well.
Hoopes is a town resident who owns Hoopes Winery, located just outside the southern city limits of Yountville. The property includes the winery, vineyards and the Oasis by Hoopes, a small farm and animal sanctuary.
During the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, she opened a farmstand set around a vintage trailer on her winery property, providing a safe place for locals to get outside and obtain fresh ingredients grown on her farm.
Fast forward to last year, and the Oasis by Hoopes was the anchor vendor at the former Thursday morning Yountville Farm Stand that took place at the Community Center Outdoor Plaza. That event has morphed into two things: Fresh produce from the Oasis is now available six days a week at the Coop, and there is now a new twice-weekly Yountville Certified Farmers Market on Thursday and Sunday mornings in the Ranch Market Too parking lot.
Raulston agrees that the agricultural connection to Yountville is clear. “The French Laundry garden is here. Obviously, it is famous. I think the reason that the Farmstand Garden was created in conjunction with the actual Farmstand (the Coop) was to really try to connect visually. The garden is here so that locals can have local produce that’s both fresh and healthy, but also locally-generated.”
The official opening day vibe at the Coop on a Saturday morning in April felt like more of a cocktail party than a coffee, brunch or lunch hangout. People meandered in and out, enjoying beverages and vibrant-colored food items, while greeting neighbors and colleagues.
At the end of last year, Hoopes and her husband, Miten Aghera, were expecting the arrival of twins, the youngest of their four children. Now the four-month-old infants regularly accompany their parents and older brothers to the family and dog-friendly Coop.
There is plenty of parking, and for kids and families that want to stay and play, the Yountville School playground is steps away, and cornhole boards are in place near a giant Connect 4 game.
Although the customer space is outdoors, the Coop feels cozy, and beckons passersby to stop in. Hoopes says that with Yountville being so walkable, there is foot traffic, but cyclists also come down Finnell Road from Yountville Cross Road to the Coop.
The menu includes affordable-for-Napa Valley items, many including locally-grown ingredients, in breakfast, lunch and ballpark snack sections. Prices from $3 to $15 without add-ons, while coffee drinks are $3 to $6.
Beverages range from $1 for a kid-sized juice box to $6 for a Fieldwork Beer to $12 for a Hoopes wine frozé to $16 for a glass of Hoopes Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Baked goods from Winston’s and Rory’s Bakehouse (both in Napa) are highlights for breakfast, along with chilaquiles, tikkaquiles, breakfast sandwiches and burritos. Sandwiches, Desi enchiladas, Indian grilled cheese, soup, and a cheese board are lunch features, while ballpark snacks include hot dogs, garlic knots,
Bhel Puri Indian Street Nachos, mac & cheese, popcorn, and a “Smidgen” of ice cream (crafted using a base of Hoopes wines).
With a nod to Hoopes’ husband’s Indian heritage, ingredients such as tikka masala and chutney, as well as family recipes from her mother-in-law, add innovation to the cuisine.
The economics of these interim uses are also important, according to Raulston, who said that when making these first-phase plans for the Yountville Commons site, repeatedly the idea “that the locals can’t afford Yountville anymore” came up.
“The snack bar at the ballfield fit the whole theme of the comments,” he said.
The town probably could not do it without some sort of sponsorship, he added, as the theory is that there just is not enough of a market in Yountville to sustain these locally-focused businesses.
“So, we’ve put theory to test by creating these uses. If the locals support them, they will be sustained, and they’ll be much easier to be sustained because the businesses are not burdened with extreme rents. Yeah, it does sound like everybody wins. I mean, even the (new) Farmers Market is a great thing. It’s all great for everybody, for residents and visitors alike.”
The Coop by Hoopes
6554 Yount Street at Finnell Road
Tuesday – Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday – Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This story originally appeared in the April 17, 2025 issue of the Yountville Sun.
