Park Slope Food Coop

Been a member since 1978. Lot of knuckleheads on Unilocal 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 Unilocal,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.
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.

A great find. Great fresh food and the people are wonderful. It’s definitely worth the investment to be a member here. If you’d like to be a visitor, come with a member! Their orientations are great and you don’t have to sign up then and there (you may want to though!).

An institution for a reason. Sure, some of the members can be a bit nutty and it is a pain if you fall behind on your shifts, but the produce and prices can’t be beat. Great (very cheap) cheese section too!

I’ve been a member for a few years and LOVE it. It works because each and everyone there has to work in order to shop there. I don’t mind the strictness with scheduling/​working your shifts or a lot of the other quirkinesses of the place.
The one thing that does bug the feck outta me are the attitudes of some of the coordinators (paid staff). Not all, but enough of them have such chips on their shoulders. I kid you not. I mean I kind of get it… they have to manage a bunch of ‘volunteer’ members who don’t usually know what they are doing, however, some need to chill the hell out. I usually don’t let them get to me (I mean it’s only a 2.45 hrs shift) but sometimes they are unrelenting when you are trying to just do your job, like stack shelves. I mean it’s not rocket science, man. But some like to micro-​manage.
Ok, one more thing bothers me: lazy member who do the bare minimum while on a shift. Perhaps that explains the disgruntled paid coordinators. ;)
However, If you can let those things roll off your skin, end enjoy all the lovely people there who are so positive, socialist/​community minded, and keep on top of your shifts, then by all means, JOIN. I think they are GREAT.

I’m a member for 25 + years… This is the country’s premier food co-​op with high standards /​high quality food, a social network /​community and a commitment to humanistic + environmental values that is without comparison… The ROI of timetime invest per month…2.75 hours… Is worth it when you stop to look at the larger a picture of «where am I going to find another place that is comparable»? Come visit to see for yourself… You’ll be glad you did…

Their business runs off of free labor. If Walmart didn’t pay their employees, there would be riots and lawsuits; instead, it’s cool and hip for the grocery store to do this. The ‘cult’ atmosphere mentioned in so many other reviews is spot on; they even have a huge banner proclaiming the ‘dangers of GMOs’. And what’s worse, the food is no cheaper than anywhere else, and they don’t stock anything but yuppie food. I can get all my groceries for $ 30/​week between Target and the corner store, impossible at this place. They sell you «organic» at a massive rip off price and tell you it’s ‘premium’ while blathering on and on about how ‘green’ the building is. The biggest irony is that the ‘employee/​volunteers’ don’t realize they’re being taken advantage of.

I truly love being apart of the coop. I live in Bay Ridge, but the commute is worth it to me. The coop truly stands by their values and only buys from local farmers, real organic farms, and farms that meet all of their criteria (no animal cruelty whatsoever, no environmental damage, etc.) Great price for the quality of food. Because everyone who shops there works there, the sense of community is really strong and I feel close to these people even though I don’t know them. Everyone is very kind, and I actually enjoy working my monthly shift.

My best place to shop for nearly everything I need. The personal items are wonderful… I especially like the refrigerated items like cheeses olives spreads and salted fish… Not too much but just enough of the good stuff and veggies you never heard of. Thanks PSFC for so many years of great independent groceries …

This is my favorite food cooperative! I love the coop so much and I feel that it really affords a sense of community. The prices are unbeatable, it even allows a poor girl explore her expensive taste. Although making those scheduled monthly shifts can be a little difficult at times, I really enjoy hanging about restocking shelves or tagging along with the shopping squad!
Give the coop a chance, it’s a beautiful place with INCREDIBLE produce. Whole Foods produce is a joke compared to the coop’s! They have a lot more than one would think! The snacks are yummy, the fish is yummy, the nuts are yuuuummmy! It’s all good! And you can get fresh sushi on the go for under $ 4!!! Unbeatable!

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

Grocery shopping in NYC is tough. You’ve got disgusting, over-​priced grocery stores like Key Foods, shockingly overpriced places like Whole Foods, and the always crowded Trader Joe’s, that never has decent produce. This is why I appreciate the co-​op. The food is awesome, the prices are amazing. I don’t understand the complaints about this place. You have to laugh at a lot of things to take the intensity of living in NY down a few notches. The same goes for the co-​op.

I’ve been a coop member on and off for about 10 years. When life gets hectic, you can miss a shift or two and fall behind and get suspended. But there are grace periods and even a one time amnesty you can take advantage of, in order to get back in good standing. Or better, just do your shift every month and always be good to shop.
When I was not a member I missed the coop. It’s a one stop shopping place for me that I have never been able to replace. They have a great selection of produce, a decent meat section, including more cured meats lately. You can always find local produce, meat and milk. They also have supplements and skin care products at very good prices. Same with the laundry soap and home cleaning products. The selection is very small, you have Ecover, Seventh Generation, Dr. Brommers etc, but the prices are very good on those. There is no Downey. They don’t sell Bounty. It’s a somewhat curated list of products. They have a pretty good beer selection too in cans and bottles, but check the date if you are picky like me.
Spices and dried fruits are amazing. The Spices come in bulk, but workers pour them into little bags and seal the bags and you can buy just a little or a lot, for a fantastic price. Like, 39 cents. It’s the same with cheese. They have very good cheeses which they cut from wheels and sell for perhaps even half the price you pay at a real cheese shop.
The store is small for a full service grocery store, and therefore the produce and other goods are constantly being stocked. Shoppers have to deal with large carts of goods in the aisles with workers stocking at the same time people are shopping. That is one of the most annoying parts of the coop. The bulk aisle, where you buy coffee, sugar, rice, flour etc is always difficult. You have to be chill, or find a time when there are fewer shoppers, such as Friday night.
I know a lot of people who have joined the coop over the years. They stay because the prices are so good, and there are many great fresh products. Most have stayed with the coop because although it can be annoying, it’s hard to beat.

Shopping here is not fun, it’s true. However, the cheese/​ice cream/​produce selection & prices are great, the shifts you have to work once every four weeks are not long (2 hrs 45 min), and I’ve enjoyed the people I’ve met while working. The orientation is a bear, but if you get past that and can shop & work during hours when there aren’t that many people there, it’s worth the investment.

I must say, bi had my reservations about this place. But a friend convinced me to give it a try. While I still love my whole foods&Trader Joes. …the concept of food cooperatives are interesting. I did find plenty of brands, like shea moisture, odwalla, and light life for great prices. The tag and bag process seemed a bit much and it was hard to dind parking. But they do walk you to your car after getting boxed up. All in all a 4 out of 5

I’m addicted. I heard for years what a pain the shifts were and how cult like the coop was. Joining the coop was one of the greatest decisions I have ever made. I eat whole fresh food every day, my dollars are supporting real farmers and authentically righteous Buisness, and I feel such a sense of purpose and shared community vision when I shop! During my shifts I work along coworkers, colleagues, and freinds. I love the deals and being inspired by new foods. If u live in brooklyn run don’t walk!

I will admit that this place has inexpensive, organic food and is an amazing place to go for produce. It is a Park Slope staple and is a step above Key Foods. However, I found it difficult to use since the lines are so long and every shopping trip is at least an hour long. To make matters worse, the managers on your shift can be extremely rude and condescending — I know that one of them asked me to life heavy items which I was not able to do after surgery and seemed annoyed when I tried to explain this to him. Overall, I’m not sure how I feel about it. I imagine it’s a great value for many Park Slope parents who plan to shop here 2 – 3 times a week.

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.

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!

Five stars for the Coop, of which I am a member.
I also give five stars for the whiny 1-​star reviews on here!
«Waaaa! I was sick and wanted soup and they didn’t understand that I’m not a member!» WHAT?
«This obviously isn’t for people with real schedules or lives as they expect you to work here AND shop here somehow» DUDE!
The work shift is 2 hours and 45 minutes a MONTH! If you have any legitimate time constraints they have a designation called something like FTOP which means you can work any hours whenever. LESS THAN 3 HOURS PEOPLE GET IT TOGETHER!!!
This place is great. If you’re not into it that’s cool, because it’s absolutely bursting at the seams with members. The reason it’s so crowded is because it’s stuffed with folks who break off less than 3 hours per month to get some of the freshest produce in NYC. To me this specific complaint is like the person who says «well they’re not gonna get any of MY money/​business!» in retaliation to being told they have no tables left. Empty threats are just stated proof that you are a difficult person.
–To the guy who mentioned in the review that you need to «reach past the brown bananas to find something fresh»; the entire contents of the produce section must turn over several times per day, so perhaps the variety of locally-​sourced fruits & vegetables is too much for you? Would you prefer huge shiny items devoid of flavor like you see in every grocery store?
Other than that, I love the kooks! Some of the very best people-​watching in North America can be found at the Coop. I’m gonna go work my shift tomorrow morning, followed by a bit of shopping, and it’s gonna be weird at moments and rewarding the entire time.

Oh the coop. What can I say that you haven’t heard already? Yes, it’s hypocritical to say you’re open to all but restrict membership signups to online-​only in the middle of the day on a weekday. Yes, you can’t shop here or even come in without being escorted. Yes, it’s a pain in the butt to both work and shop there. I do it anyway, though the benefits outweigh the costs by a razor-​thin margin.
Everything is marked up a uniform percentage above cost, so you can really tell what items are the moneymakers and loss leaders in the normal grocery store. In general, you can get organic/​grown within 500 miles of the store produce for the price you’d pay for regular produce on the outside. The biggest benefit I see is being able to largely remove yourself from the agribusiness food system; when there’s a massive lettuce recall in New Mexico, you don’t have to worry about it.
Standard hyper-​liberal org structure were the list of rules is vast and incomprehensible so only those that are more equal than others have the real power. I like the principles and I want to enjoy the coop a lot more than I do, but the human factor gets in the way a lot. But I do all my shifts and keep my head down and try not to show any emotion, so please don’t do any reprisals against me Coop secret police!