Other Avenues opened its doors in 1974 by the participants of the Food Conspiracy, a grass roots organization of food buying clubs dedicated to buying and distributing wholesale food among themselves. Driven by the spirit of sustainable communities, the clubs expanded and opened over a dozen storefronts like Other Avenues, a large warehouse and other supporting organizations. Collectively calling themselves The Peoples Food System with motto - Food for people, not for profit, these stores thrived for over a decade and then faded away. By the 1990s most of the stores had closed their doors, but Other Avenues remains open today, preserving the legacy of the People's Food System.