If you're staying around Mercatale, this will be your go-to grocery store in town, since there are…read moreno other options. Get your cheese and meats up on the square, but for the rest, you'll be stuck with the Coop. This one is very small, a limited selection. The food is still amazing, fresh, seasonal and local, as it is in most of Tuscany. If you need anything you can't find here though, try the bigger coop in San Casciano (keep in mind that things are so seasonal in Tuscany, that they may be out of tomatoes if it's the middle of winter, even though that's a staple you'd expect to find anywhere in Italy). If you still can't find what you need, seek out the hypermarket 45 minutes away, near Florence, called I Gigli.
My main beef with this Coop is that the staff is incredibly rude. Even if you speak Italian, as long as you look like a foreign (blond, blue eyed, light skin, or any race but white), they will treat you like crap most of the time. They will hurl your fruits and vegetables to the end of the bagging counter, they will not be patient if you don't have your money ready or try to pay with a card that doesn't work, and certainly don't expect them to smile or wish you a good day. And if you don't speak Italian, expect nothing at all from them.
