I am not a member of this food coop, but I came with a friend last week and was very impressed. The prices are great and the selection is well curated. Memberships are about $100 and while they were too busy to really help me at the time I was there (it was pretty crowded yikes!), I will return and get more info. But this review is for my experience as a "guest" and I was impressed. It's certainly somewhere I would return to shop! read more

This food co-op personifies everything people hate about Park Slope. Uppity, insular, privileged, and provincial. If you are interested in joining, you must complete orientation and pay the $25 fee (non-refundable) and $100 equity investment (refundable upon giving them the finger and ending membership) BEFORE you are even allowed to set food into the co-op. There are no exceptions to this rule. Signing up is also dicey; you have to keep going to their website until there's an opening for orientation, which is rare. I sincerely wish someone would infiltrate this elite organization and destroy it from the inside. Kind of like the Night Manager, but in food-coop form. They'd be running so fast their Birkenstocks would fall off. read more

I went to this Supermarket the other day and there were flies and bugs everywhere! The people that work there are bigoted and racists! They apparently judge Everyone by where they're from or what religion they are! If I were you, I would stay far away from this crappy Supermarket that truly doesn't care about inclusivity and diversity! read more

Guess it isn't fair that I'm writing a review of this place before becoming a member, but I have to comment on my first impression which wasn't exactly that good. We walked in to ask about becoming members and we were sent to three different places. In the end, we were told to come back for an orientation. I don't know. The prices and food have to be pretty good to shop somewhere where you have to work to even get in the door. It seems that none of the workers knew what they were doing. Guess when you only work three hours a month, there's a lot of off time to forget what you have to do. We couldn't get any information from anyone...even at the information desk. Out of curiosity we probably will join. From what I understand it is more of a social thing....time will tell. read more

Park Slope Food Coop - Upstairs membership office - Grocery Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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First off it's a cult, flat out, my parents membership number is 100 so you can imagine how long they have been there, the fruits veggies bagels everything you can think of is beyond fresh and Amazing nothing compares Whole Foods and fairway perlanadra is like path-mark, their vegetarian sandwhiches make me crave for them and I'm a hardcore meat eater. You have to join and work 1 shift a month. Well worth it, tons of weirdos tons of hippies but everyone's nice but who cares this place has been Amazing and always will be. I can't think of a better place to buy food unless your growing it Yourself. Any one else who said don't join is a moron and probably doesnet wanna work a shift, it's like socialism here work a shift and get a discount on killer food amazing, f socialism btw. Oh and the childcare amazing tons of fond memories as a we tot here read more

I used to love it here but last few visits I saw mice which freaked me out! Also noticed bugs in one of the items I bought. Definitely looking for a different coop read more

Now, ten years after I wrote my first review of the Coop, I'm happy to report that I have reached retirement age. I can shop whenever I want and never have to work again. I miss my job on The Linewaiters Gazette where I met so many interesting Coop members. And after moving to Bay Ridge I don't get to shop as much there as I used to. One thing that hasn't changed: I still love the Coop. There's no place like it. read more

Park Slope Food Coop - The Coop made the firemen next door honorary members after 911. - Grocery Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I love the food coop! My only regret is not joining sooner. It essentially costs $125 to join and you will easily make than money back in less than a year due to the blanket 24% markup rate. You have to work a 2.5 hour shift once every 5-6 weeks, and I have enjoyed getting to know the inner workings of the coop as well as satisfying my childhood fantasy of working at a checkout counter. The food is so fresh and local it actually inspired me to go vegetarian for a month which I have never done before, but the fish and meat options and ESPECIALLY the cheese options are plentiful. I'm glad this place exists! read more

Park Slope Food Coop - a display of peaches - Grocery Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I have been a member of the Park Slope Food Coop for 15 years. Today I heard this on the intercom: "I can't read anything on this package because it's all in French. All I know is it's Camembert." It's this kind of idiosyncrasy that I love most about the coop. People are unabashedly themselves, for better and for worse. It's a community store, and even at 18,000 members, I rarely shop without seeing people I know. The local, organic, minimally treated, and specialty produce is phenomenal. The cheese selection is fantastic -- as is the coffee, the chocolate, the vitamins and supplements, and the bread. The store also stocks all the staples you could want--pasta, eggs, canned goods, dairy, and home goods, at about 60% the price you would pay elsewhere in Brooklyn. While some people complain about the rigidity of the work and make-up shift policies, I am a fan of the structure. I think that policies make it so that people aren't treated with favoritism, but rather with consistency. The downside to the coop is that it gets really busy to shop on weekends, when I am most available to shop. It works out really well for people who have flexibility, and can shop during the work week, but if you have to work 8-6, be ready for a crowded shopping experience. read more

Park Slope Food Coop - Ashmead's Kernel apples! Perfect apples from the 18th Century in Gloucester, England. - Grocery Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I'm not going to beat around the bush. The Park Slope Food coop is not a relaxing place to shop ... particularly on weekends. Heck I waited 10 years before I joined. Below are the yays & nays of membership to this club of shoppers. Yay: Dazzling variety of produce Eg around 9+ varieties of exotic mushrooms , a huge selection of citrus each winter . Tangelos, blood orange, clementine, tangerine, Sumo , Yuzu, Navel , Cara Cara etc Nay: Difficulty in navigating aisles particularly in the produce section where there are carts of produce being stocked Solution: Shop with mini carts and/or park your cart at one spot and roam around freely to stock up your cart. Yay: Lots of great prepared foods like sushi, yummy court street grocers sandwiches , salads etc Nay: busy store Solution: shop on weekdays as early as possible Yay: A huge amazing fantabulous selection of assorted cheese and the best chocolate section plus specialty gourmet brands of chocolates at rock bottom prices Eg dick and Taylor, Fruition chocolate ( small batch artisanal choc that won a gold medal at the international chocolate awards for its milk chocolate) , Amedei - artisanal choc from Tuscany Italy that melts in your mouth Nay: Difficulty shopping in gourmet choc area as people keep trying to get past the narrow area Solution : Get out of the way, get right back in , and make a decision mega quickly Yay: Friendly, interesting, cool members you can chat and laugh with while doing your shift Nay: Uptight , nutty , rude members who whine about everything including whining Solution: Stick with the happy folk.. avoid the grumpy ones At the end of the day when it comes to shopping/ working at the coop this is what I do : Breathe deeply , get in there , breathe deeply , get out of there . Smile sweetly at everyone , curse quietly at others , leave with huge bags of rainbow hued fresh produce and other goodies and be grateful for the food coop ! read more

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LOVE THIS PLACE. It's a strong community, the food is fresh and inspiring, and the price is RIGHT. I encourage everyone and anyone to join.

For much of my life over the last decade, I had a problem. For years I walked past the PSFC and heard the stories. Still, I avoided it, because of the work requirement. Although I had plenty of time on my hands and lived around the corner from the place, I went into Manhattan, paid through the nose for cheese and fancy soap at Whole Foods, and lugged bags and bags back to my apt on the subway. Like I said: I had a problem. Then something happened. I got married. I became a member of a household with someone who was a Coop member. It was no longer acceptable for me to mooch off my partner's largesse. I had to become a Coop member myself, work shifts, and contribute. And you know what? It wasn't so bad. I was assigned to the Shopping squad, found a comfortable niche checking people out in the Express Lane, at a time that made sense to me. I met a lot of nice people, some grouchy people, and learned about Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss non-dairy frozen dessert. I don't need to pontificate about the dazzling variety of food, produce, local goods, and organic items. Enough people have done that on this website. But the best thing about the Coop? It's like having a Whole Foods right on Union Street, only you don't have to pay the outrageous prices. And despite the crazy lines (which they have at WF as well), you feel good about shopping there. Because everyone else is a member. I was a fool for avoiding the Coop all those years. read more

Park Slope Food Coop - For real. - Grocery Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I have been a member since almost 4 years and it's the best place where to find quality food, most of the times at a cheaper price (it's true that sometimes things are still expensive, but hey, we are talking of always high standard products). The cheese section is sooooo full of different types of cheese from all over the world (italy and france, spain, switzerland and others) and those are at a really good low price. There are so many positive aspects of the coop: the food that don't look nice and don't get sold go to a soup kitchen, the one that is going bad go to compost, everybody is involved as everyone has to work 2 hours 45 minutes a month, musicians get credits to play concerts, choice of organic and not organic produce (but the ones like celery that is usually full of pesticides, if only organic),... there is more, but I'll stop here for now. If you are not a member you can ask for a tour. But you cannot just enter... sorry, doesn't seem so unfair. (I've been reading some epic entitled review... from people that didn't even take the tour). Last, yes, it's true, some members can be intense, crazy, whateveryoudontlike... but it's a 17 thousand members community, trust me, you can find nicer people there (than rude ones). read more

Park Slope Food Coop - cheese party!!! - Grocery Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Please don't bother extremely rude and no information at all that you can't shop without membership. So you go around a store with huge crowds get the whole basket to just be turned away at the register The prices are high and ridiculous even with membership read more

It's one 2 hour 45 min work shift every cycle. Cycle used to be 4 weeks, currently 6 weeks. You work just hard enough to help the time pass. If I normally worked in a supermarket the work would be annoying but it's kind of a refreshing change of pace if your paid work is really different. If you want to chat with your co-worker-members while working you can, but it's fine not to. The post-Covid shift sign up is much improved. It's now easy to cancel a shift up to the evening before online, no excuse needed. It's also easy to pick up last minute shifts from those cancellations if you aren't real picky about what you will do or at what time of day. But if you sign up a couple weeks ahead (or take an optional recurring shift) you can do what you like. Like cutting cheese? Getting a workout lifting heavy things? Stocking shelves? Answering phones? Doing check-out? You do you. Anyone can also bank shifts now so if your life gets hectic in cycles, you can do all your coop shifts in the slow periods. I really don't mind working there, it's kind of enjoyable, as long as it doesn't interfere with other things in my life. read more

So grateful for the coop. Best quality and selection, most conscious, great community, best prices and mostly organic. Keeps me in Park Slope and keeps me eating well and staying healthy. Love this place read more

AMAZING FOOD OPTIONS! Yes, the coop can get too crowded. Yes, there may be people who have very interesting viewpoints from yours. HOWEVER, the options for food are limitless. I joined because I was on the Whole 30 and wanted to make sure that I had access to whole foods at reasonable prices. The Coop delivers on this account. I enjoy working my shifts and sharing the responsibility with my household partner. I have also made a lot of new friends through the Coop. read more

Been a member since 1978. Lot of knuckleheads on Yelp crying about the coop population, comments others made to them while shopping, and other nonsensical complaints. Because the coop has great products and low prices, its membership has increased tenfold over the years. I go to the coop to shop not make friends. To the meatballs on Yelp, the crybabies, don't put the place down. You don't like the crowds? Leave. Someone says something you don't like? Ignore the person. You're there to shop. Don't like it that much? Leave. Don't complain here and prevent others from joining. Have a valid complaint? Take it to the general meeting or bring it to the attention of someone in the membership office. Think I'm trolling? You're too thin skinned to be a real New Yorker. The prices are low because we work. Why? The coop doesn't have to hire workers to stock shelves. The coop has a construction section. No need to hire contractors. The coop saves money and the general membership saves money. Dali L. Give 5 stars, if you love it - otherwise take your review and leave. On second thought forget Dali L, she's childish and an asinine buffoon. The place was a lot smaller in 1978. The coop purchased the rug cleaner next door and expanded. You want the current building to increase in size? Don't complain. Dig into your pocket and donate a million dollars. Those days we didn't have shopping carts. We all deposited our groceries in boxes and pushed them along the floor or carried them. We had a lot of bulk items. Not much in refrigerated items. No meat, poultry, or fish. Today, the Park Slope Food Coop sells wild fish, albeit frozen, poultry, beef, pork, and lamb. All meats and poultry are prepackaged. They're all free range, steroid and antibiotic free, and many products are fed organic feed, such as D'Artagnan chicken. Yes, the coop sells ice cream and frozen foods. read more

Great big selection at discounts that get more considerable the more "luxurious" the item. Though due to relatively small buying power vs giants like Walmart and Amazon you will pay a lot more for products like Bounty and Cheerios. You won't find the most popular skus like Coke, Budweiser and Raisin Brand but you will find lots of different soft drinks, large selection of beers and ciders from small brewers and cereals from the kashi's of the world. The produce can't be beat for freshness and is typically the least expensive around with choices of either organic or conventional. The work requirement is not onerous at one shift of two hours and 45 minutes every four weeks and most find it enjoyable given the people, the "jobs" and what you learn about the coop. Just don't break a rule as there are a lot of them which is necessary to keep 18000 active NYC members working together. read more

Yes, you have to work to be a member of this coop. It's no big deal. It's actually kind of fun in that you get to meet a variety of characters. What I don't understand is people grousing about penalty shifts. Most adults realize that if they can't make a shift, they should call their squad leader (i.e. when you're home fighting dysentery or your Aunt Vera died) and they won't face a penalty shift. It is a commitment. If you can't commit to the time then don't waste your time or that of others. One should note that there are indeed lots of idiots at the co-op. As a microcosm of real life, which is filled with idiots, you can expect your fair share at the co-op. If you ride the subway, have a job, pay taxes then you know about idiots. Tune them out, or envision them getting run over by a dump truck. Whatever helps you deal. Then go off and buy your cheap food and if you can't take the lines, have a smoke (or a drink) before you shop to make that experience more zen like....dude. read more

Great market with good prices. I believe membership is $100.00 a year plus you have to work in the store about 4 hours a month. That was the terms the last time I checked it might be different now. I have 2 friends that are members and they love it. They have a lot of organic and gluten-free products here. read more

UPDATE: Even better during COVID. Thank God for the PSFC! Always safe, respectful and stocked with everything I need. And to the bad reviews: LOL. It's not rude to not let people into a private food coop. read more

It would be 5 stars because I love this place. I am a new member and I really enjoy working there. Prices are generally great, selection is usually more than satisfying, freshness of produce is excellent. Two things I don't like: - if I drive there, street parking is max 1 hour and after 12pm it's $2/hour - lines at cashiers can be long and frustrating - ah there is a third one, two many people shopping in a small space Besides that, Love Love Love read more

ATTN. GUESTS - you will NOT be allowed to shop here if you do not work here. Your best bet is to go with someone that does work there, have them sign you in upstairs (bring your photo ID), get a VISITOR sticker, and have your friend shop for you. DONE! Heads up on the close-quartered aisles. Some really interesting finds here, for the foodie, GF, Vegan-free, hommie alike. I scored a Reed's Long-Aged Kombucham 100% Post-Consumer-Waste Recycled Decomposition book, Pineapple snakaroons (macaroons with pineapple inside), and Macro-Vegan made with solar power Seaweed Salad. Gotta love NY for this reason alone: diverse selection choices. Also, in case your lump sum is too much to carry, you can request a "walker" who will help you wheel your cart of goods down the line. Make new friends, people! Happy shopping! read more

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Yes, it's crowded and wacky and there are rules-- most objections to those are entitled and annoying. If you approach this place with calm, understanding, and humor, it is a great place to be. The majority of people who choose to be here are quite friendly, breezily sharing cooking tips and asides, and rumor has it that it can also be a great place to meet someone to date (!). The produce and prices overall are killer. My non-member friends are constantly jealous. I also enjoy the cheese selections (and portions) and bulk items (the freshest nuts in NYC). Anything processed (from artisanal chocolate bars to heat and serve entrees) are at least a buck cheaper per item. And let's not forget the value of participating in alternative business models to change the food system. So yes, you need to contribute to that work. I've done just about every job in the coop during my two decades of membership, and it is relatively painless (until or unless you get behind in shifts). My biggest complaints are genuine: that the PSFC doesn't have a genuine fish or meat department. Also, I think it would gain revenue from a prepared foods department. I wish that they still did special vitamin orders. And that I could get brine with my olives. These are the things that you care about as a member. The haters can go to the newly opened Whole Foods in Gowanus. Bubye. read more

I had been looking forward to joining the coop for a few years. Many of my friends in the area told me all the great things that the coop has to offer. I initially chose not to join because I was worried that I would not be able to fulfill the work requirement of 2 hours & 45 minutes once a month. A few days ago, I was finally able to attend orientation and sign up to be a member. The produce here is local and mostly organic or minimally treated. Their shelves are packed with natural and healthy options but they still do have some typical supermarket staples at supermarket prices for those who want. read more

"Can someone tell me if we carry vegan marshmallows?" is something I never thought I would hear over a loud speaker until I started membership at the Park Slope Co-Op. Yes, the co-op is quirky and can be crowded, but honestly, I love the weirdness and the produce can not be beat. I would gladly get up at 6 am to do a shift once a month to eat the best purple radish of all time. I haven't encountered the rude types that some have, but I have definitely heard some stories. I think any community run project is going to have some strange people that maybe aren't the best with others, but up until now, I haven't had to deal with any. For the most part, I work with nice people and have had some good chats about uses for odd veggies that we are stocking. I am proud that this co-op is one of the only one of it's kind that sticks truly to the co-op model. Everyone has to work. No one can pay their way out of this. Membership involves a $25 fee, a $100 investment (payable in installments and also financial aid available for those who qualify - and you get it back if you quit) and a 2.75 hour work shift once a month. You also have to sit through a one time orientation. I do my shifts at 6 or 7 am on weekdays, since I hate being claustrophobic and it gets crazy to try to stock shelves when people are shopping. I also don't do my shopping at peak hours if I can help it. The lines are long most times, but they have people directing the line-waiters (like Trader Joes), and it usually goes fairly quickly. The store is small but the selection, especially produce, is incredible. The meat section is limited, but good. You can only get grass fed beef and I love that the cold cuts are uncured/nitrate free. If you join for the beer and cheese alone, you are making your membership worth it. The cheese section is incredible, seriously. And though the beer section is tiny, the prices of cool local craft brews are so much less than a store like BK Larder (which I like too, BTW). The pricing is transparent, so it is fun to look at things and see how much other stores mark stuff up (or what they choose to profit less from to get you in the door). I still get paper towels and things like that on sale at other places if they are cheaper than the co-op, but most things are a better deal here. I think if you have an open mind and work/shop at the co-op at less busy times, you will love it. Pro-tip: you can use attendance at 2 General Meetings a year as your shift for that month. read more

I called to inquire about a beer I've been on the hunt for for weeks as a gift. The manufacturer website listed this store as having it but to call the store directly and double check. I call and ask if they carry it and a woman proceeds to go on for 5 minutes condescendingly about how "they don't do that". You can't look up something for a customer? The amount of time it took for her to tell me why they refuse to check on a product for a customer took longer than it would take to actually just check. Thanks for nothing. I'll buy somewhere else. read more

If you expect the Coop to replace your average grocery store experience, you will be disappointed. Because.. a coop is not a Key Food, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Union Market, farmer's market, CSA, etc. Its products and produce are unbelievably cheap and of exceptional quality. You - as a coop member - are both responsible for and entitled to everything the coop offers. I like shopping and working at the Coop. My review addresses other reviewers' concerns about crowded conditions, etiquette, coop policy, etc: When an absentminded person's cart rolls over my toe, I swallow a few choice words and politely ask the cart owner to mind the aisle and my feet. Then I see the huge 50-cent bag of organic carrots and poof, I'm back to being delighted and grateful. You know how people go abroad and come back all full of wonder and amazement for other cultures, and they talk about how our society/country/"Western world"/etc is so wasteful/capitalistic/cold/disconnected? I see that. And I raise you the crazy little microcosm of the Coop. Crowded aisles? I'll survive. Confused workers? Bless their hearts. Rude shoppers? I'll manage. "Stalinist Russia.." "Draconian rules.." I respect those other Yelpers' opinions, but I disagree. Sack up, put your big girl panties on, buy your dope produce, and don't be a dick. Simple. I can't afford to care about anything other than the rock-bottom prices for such quality stuff. I mean: I don't make enough money to be able to care about anything else. Nor do I want to waste my time and energy on trivial, fleeting annoyances. Highest quality *and* stupid cheap produce, meat, cheese, household goods, dry goods, etc etc? Um, Imma choose to be grateful! I've never had a bad experience on a work shift. I always meet great people! I've hauled boxes off the conveyor belt in the basement at 5:45 am, sliced/wrapped/weighed cheese chunks, swept aisles, worked checkout booths.. It's a coop. And it's fantastic. And when I shop, I really do enjoy my time in the Coop. It's like a breath of fresh air: no Whole Foods 10-min-wait in color-coordinated lines for expensive everything, no rotten broccoli bunches from my nabe Key Food, no plastic-wrapped everything from Trader Joe's. Just good people and good products. Rock on, PSFC. Thanks. read more

Ughhh the worse. Legit spent my time shopping to only be told that I need to be a member. No one in the front mentioned anything to me at all. Get it together. Prices were way over priced anyway. Then this want to be Sam's Club made a big deal Mentioning to me about this stupid membership loudly. Like I really care to be a member ? Less money for you guys. You're not Costco. Not even close to size. I have a membership there and plus there's a better selection and prices. Lmaooo. This place is a joke ! read more

My husband and I are new to the neighborhood and stopped in this evening around 6 pm to inquire about becoming members. There were three people sitting at the welcome counter and they each acted surprised and annoyed that we would even walk through the door without a membership. I asked if we could possibly take a look around the store just to see what sort of groceries they carried and was given a firm "no" and told we needed to schedule an orientation with a guide. The store has maybe 10 shelves, so I was a little confused as to why I couldn't even look around without a guide. I assured the volunteers that I would not try to sneak and buy groceries and was still told no. When I asked about scheduling an orientation I was told to come back another time and "figure it out because we're in the middle of a shift change." I know these three individuals do not represent the entirety of the company, but I certainly hope the company takes some time to put their members through retraining. read more

*REVIEW ONLY FOR THE COOKING CLASS!* Went to the gluten-free & vegetarian cooking class taught by a Japanese chef last night.. two entrees and a dessert, and all were delicious! The class is $4 and it lasted about two hours upstairs above the market. You can purchase most of the ingredients the chef uses downstairs, for your convenience. Two issues I had with the class 1. couldn't really see what she was doing, so I had to stand most of the time and 2. some people were so rude, talking over the chef and causing distractions.. and these were all middle-aged 'adults' who should be respectful. If you're going to talk.. WHISPER so I can hear what the hell the chef is trying to say! Apparently, next month is dessert month and December is duck month! Check it out if you're interested in attending! read more

When considering joining the coop it's a case of the good, the bad and the ugly. The good - Produce is brought in daily (to my understanding) so it is 9.5 times out of 10 fresh. I have placed things into the soup kitchen bin or for compost bin a few times - Dietary restrictions are easily accommodated by shopping here. There is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and etc. products that if found elsewhere would cost significantly more. -"Paging out" - If for some reason you cannot find a product on the shelf, you can make an announcement throughout the coop to members and ask them if they might know where it is or if it's sold at the coop at all. Someone almost always responds. I have never used it myself though. -"Special Orders" - If there is something you want that is not sold at the coop, the coop can place an order for that item to come in for you. The bad - Crowds - It can get crowded and shopping around can be difficult. - The Bumper Carts - People have a tendency to leave their cart in a random isle that they are nowhere near, to go shopping around. This is super annoying as carts can barricade shelves and people from passing through the isles. - "Short Staffed" - There is possibly less than a handful of people that actually "work" at the coop, but the work of getting things going like stocking shelves (my shift), cashiering, maintenance, childcare and etc. is done by members so when certain individuals chose to not (I know there are emergencies) come in to "work" the coop can be short of people to do those jobs. This tends to happen a lot (from what I have seen) especially with cashiering. There is usually a paging out to ask shoppers with experience who don't mind to work a shift to help out. So imagine if there is no cashiers how bad that can be, lines are not moving fast which leads to more crowding, people cannot be relieved of their shift which is unfair... yeah everything goes bad! - Policies - Now there needs be order, but some things are just annoying and ridiculous. 1) If you miss your shift as penalization, you end up owing two shifts. Now you can call in and depending on if your "squad leader" (the task manager) they can excuse one of the shifts so you only have to make up one. I think this is fair for the most part, but I can imagine if there is any emergency. I also think if a member has never missed a shift for an extended period of time they should not have to do two shifts at all. Say you have been a member for 5+ years and never missed a shift, you shouldn't be penalized with two make ups for the first time you miss a shift 2) You cannot do a shift in advanced, even if you know you're going to be away. I think this is stupid as hell, though I somewhat understand it. There are people who are constantly traveling and for those individuals there is FTOP (Future Time Off Program). These individuals can "bank" shifts for when they are way. Shifts are 13 times a year (yes there are only 12 months in a year, but shifts are calculated by weeks) and anyone in FTOP is not assigned a shift like everyone else, they work out coming for shifts with the coop when they can. Another option is to "swap shifts" essentially you post up online that you cannot make your shift and someone will hopefully tell you that you can take their shift and you can take theirs or you can grab a list of members for a particular shift and text/call to ask if they can switch with you. 3) No sharing food with non-members - I get the reason behind this, you want as many people to join and work. It is also unfair to have people reaping the benefits of the coop without working, but really!? The ugly - Some people are really rude for no reason whatsoever, I know that is life, but they signed up to do this unlike most things. - Conversations while not working - I have noticed while shopping that people who are on shift will be having super long conversations amongst themselves while not working or it will be one person on shift catching up with a friend, while not working. To add to this, those same people will make themselves barricades of the shelves. - Membership Office - I don't know if it's just me, but people on this squad never seem to know the answer to a question. I understand new people are added on to a shift, but almost every time I call, I have to wait till they find the answer and this usually takes a long time. It can be a simple question that just needs delegating to the right person. I also think they're unorganized. I was on medical leave, I returned on the date agreed to and when I returned I was taken off my regular shift and put on to another day of the week. I then asked to be waitlisted to be put back on, I replied to the email the same day I received it to confirm the spot on the squad, but I was then never given my shift. Once again, calling was futile since, the member who answered had no idea as to how to handle the situation or even who could help. read more

Woke up today and fell into another forgotten version of this poem, abandoning the prose of the novel of my prior life for the lyrical labor of sowing seeds in the carcinogenic soil of verse, letting rebloom the persimmon you gifted me, artisanal produce of organic agricultural logic and which I watched wrinkle and decay into mushy obsolescence. They lied when they said the lyric is a time machine, only the nineteenth-century's poetry can return to us our failed futures. So instead let me be grateful for having lived moments of an other's life: a room haloed with images of Owl's Head Park; for lessons in squeezing navels; for Hilda Morley, "the sound of the rain turned me /around" and Black Mountain syllabi; for Knight's "Feeling Fucked Up"; for not knowing which door to walk through; for jumping in the air a hero and landing a villain; for the reminder that Woolf did Prue wrong by killing her within those parentheses, One can hardly tell which is the sea and which is the land, yes, one can hardly tell which is the ink-blotted sky and which the dark-dappled sheet of grief we share and wander beneath. It's hard to say whether or not these pseudo-devotionals will reach you, maybe they will maybe they won't, as the speaker's voice remains in the key of wish-fulfillment as is typical of this poet's late late-style. read more

An incompetent business that manipulates "members" through distortions of Marxism. The problem is not that one must work, but the top-down structure with ambiguous rules. For example, three months in I was told I could replace my work shift with one of the monthly meetings. (Note that I had never missed a shift, never been late, had signed in every time, etc.) Sounded great 'cuz I had a paper to write. Ok, so I showed up. Inside a church without air conditioning on a sweltering evening I patiently witnessed shoo-in elections, stayed the whole time, signed the sheet at the end of the meeting after waiting in a very long line just because my last name is at the end of the alphabet (the A-E list was only half a page--is it too hard to distribute the names more equitably?). Not fun, but I could put up with it. I thought I was good to go until my next shift, but no, the next time I shopped I was told I had, wow, 2 make-ups! After explaining the situation to a very nice man, I was told that because I went to the meeting he would change my status, leaving me with only one make-up. But...I had been told I could replace my shift with the meeting? Wrong. No, no, no...wrong. May I add that during my office shifts I begged for training, but received little. Working conditions are, um, poor, to say the least. One of my mateys had a habit of getting into overly long, intimate conversations with callers, as if her shift were a substitute for Tinder. Another time, paid staffer Emma Goldman yelled when I asked for help "too many" times. Ah, Emma! Was it possible I observed you making mistakes as well? Could the Park Slope Food Co-op trigger more PTSD than steering my little Prius through Manhattan at rush hour? Could the Park Slope Food Co-op be as terrorizing as Citibikers sans helmets riding on the sidewalk? May I add. I'm almost 60 years old and have never before witnessed such incompetence.* I've lived much of my life in Berkeley and San Francisco and am used to people pushing and shoving to reach the last bunch of organic arugula at the Berkeley Bowl/Monterey Market/Rainbow/Bi-Rite. No problem there. I consider myself a socialist; my parents were socialists, I'm an outgoing person, etc. Maybe I'm too much of an overly sensitive Cali lady, but hey I'm also a native New Yorker. Someone is making a lot of money at this place and it ain't the paid floor staff. I'd like to support the co-op, but I'll be taking my business to Whole Foods, where the prices, except for the cheese** and the chocolate (love Dicks!) are not all that different. And hey, you know what? Whole Foods even provides compostable produce bags. And another thing. I'm using the 2.75 hours that would have comprised my waived make-up shift to write this Yelp review. How 'bout that? *except for my landlord's Individual Apartment Improvements **at the co-op overly packaged in toxic Saran Wrap read more

Great community of people and the biggest variety of mushrooms, lentils, bread, and chocolate ever. Tons of vegan food as well as fresh, locally sourced produce with great discounts. They help Chips, the local homeless shelter; believe in sustainable practices like encouraging members to reuse boxes to carry groceries home; embraces diversity in all forms; creates consistent safety measures during the pandemic and the cart walkers help with those extra heavy packages. They'll walk with you to your door and return your cart for you. Working a shift feels like a civic duty to keep expenses low. read more

I did enjoy the 15 varieties of pluots for a couple weeks... but alas, this place is just not for me. and I'm an organic-food loving Vermonter. The co-op is perfect for you if: - you don't have a job or go to school, or you're blessed with a flexible schedule - you're masochistic - you like games, like find the fresh produce, which is usually hidden all the way in the back behind the rotting tomatoes or brown bananas - you can shop at non-rush hours, like 9:30 pm, or 7:30 am - you like cults - you like to extend basic shopping errands into elaborate, volunteer-staffed free-for-alls with multiple checkpoints and guilt-laden finger wagging - you cherish spending your spare time with the uniquely self-righteous, garlic-toting co-op folks read more

A word on the cult thing: Long-term members seemed scary to me. Newer members (2-3 years) seemed more practical - they wanted to do their work in order to get their food and go. I used to be a member, but these things made me quit: - I couldn't keep up with the work. I had a spat of work-related travel, and that put me in the hole of penalty shifts. That have a program for people like me, who travel, where you can work ahead of time to take off future shifts. But, seriously, whose life is organized enough for that? - Produce is not stored at optimal conditions. They just don't have the facilities to do it. My produce wasn't lasting a week. It does from Fairway and Whole Foods, and I know it turns over at the coop. So, it's got to be the storage. What's 30% cheaper if it means 30% more food waste? - The lines are too long. The coop is too crowded. Shopping is a crazed experience. I would do things to avoid going to the coop. - Don't trust the staff. If you work out something where you get a promise that you won't get a penalty shift, only a makeup shift, don't believe them. They'll screw you. Not maliciously, they just don't care. (Why should they with the number of members they have?) - The Vitamin section is out of control. You know the membership is weird because they want to take concentrated royal jelly. You know, the stuff that social insects feed to their progeny that are to become males and queens (instead of drones). Made me wonder if there were bug coopers walking around in human suits. read more

Icky pretense, bad attitudes, and crowds aside, this place is amazing. The coop has an incredible variety of VERY cheap produce, cheese, bread, spices, and bulk food items. The prepackaged foods are hit or miss. Some are vastly cheaper than you would find elsewhere while others are around the same price. But the quality all around is spectacular. The variety of cheese is unbelievable and makes any amount of annoying angry people worth enduring. To clear up some confusion among the 1-star folks: 1) This place does not make joining prohibitive for any demographic. They lower the membership fee and requisite investment for low-income households. They provide daycare so single parents can shop in peace. They only require 2.75 hours of work per month (and provide daycare for that, too). Please don't try to tell me you're so busy and important that you can't spare 2.75 hours once a month. And the shifts happen from 6am until late every day, so there's bound to be a block in there that works for you. 2) Yes, most coops in the world do have member/nonmember prices and aren't so strict at the door. But if you've seen the prices, the crowds, and the lines at this coop, you wouldn't be surprised that they don't allow visitors to shop. For better or worse, this coop's kind of famous and kind of tiny. If they allowed nonmembers to shop, they'd have to a) move to a bigger space, b) hire more staff, and c) raise prices for members and nonmembers, thus voiding their mission statement. They would then effectively become Union Market or Whole Foods. It's fine to dislike this place because of rude people (it's still NYC), yuppies (it's still Park Slope), and exclusionist practices (it's not a grocery store), but if you like inexpensive, high-quality food, it's worth joining. read more

I wanted to like this place. I wanted to join. We have a saying back home - all hat and no cattle - which totally sums up this place. The Park Slope Food Coop is all hype. I went for a visit and was shocked at 1) how rude the staff were, 2) how poor the selection was, and 3) what a dump it was in there. I heard much talk of the Park Slope Food Coop. Their website says that people come from across the East Coast to shop there. I was excited to check it out. A friend and I called to see if we could come for a tour. They told us to swing on in. When we got there 10 minutes later, the guard at the door (a guard at a grocery store?!) told us that they had just gotten busy and that we'd have to come back later. They acted like we were out of line to show up, even though they told us to come right over. We wanted to check prices and selection to see if it'd be worth joining. I asked if we could look around. The guard told us that we weren't allowed in the store without an escort! An escort?! What do you think we are going to do to your potatoes and cheese? Finally, another Coop member came over and told us he'd escort us into the store. He walked us 10 paces in, let us have a quick look, then walked us out. At one point, we just turned to each other and started laughing. He told us that we'd have to attend a membership session in order to get a proper look a the store. Really?! The place is a joke. They take themselves way too seriously and think their crowded aisles of (slightly but not really so much cheaper) food justifies a rude, bad, "get out of here and never come back" attitude. It also irks me that they aren't more accessible when they claim to be serving a social purpose. The selection isn't impressive, the prices are ok, and the store is a crowded mob of snooty people who buy into the hype of this place (w/o realizing that it isn't anything special at all). I get that there isn't much space in Brooklyn, but this place doesn't deliver at all. I can handle a crowded aisle, but I can't handle a bunch of white, yuppie Park Slopers with bad attitudes standing guard around their little store and refusing to let anyone in. I'd suggest the folks from the Park Slope Food Coop visit the Seward Coop or Wedge in Minneapolis or the Good Food Store in Missoula. They'll learn customer service, how to smile, how to run a store, and what true selection looks like. NY has a lot to offer, but the lack of good grocery stores always amazes me. read more