Park Slope Food Coop Marks 50th Anniversary

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — A Park Slope institution marked a half century of low-priced healthy food and members wrangling work cycles.

The beloved, sometimes-mocked and always tasty Park Slope Food Coop celebrated its 50-year anniversary in February.

The Union Street grocery store, which is member-owned, members-only and members-operated, is now an inextricable part of Park Slope and Brooklyn.

But as an anniversary article in the coop's newsletter — the Linewaiters' Gazette — noted, it wasn't always such a neighborhood monolith.

"The Coop has gone from a group of about ten founders operating out of the second floor of a leftist community center (with no elevator) to a two-story, nearly 15,000-member institution," the article states.

The coop recently rumbled about opening a second location — a sign it is emerging from the coronavirus pandemic in good shape.

Doing so would allow the coop to greatly expand its membership base, as the current 782 Union St. facility limits how many people can join.

It could also open the doors wider for the less-than-cooperative internal politics and disagreements that can sometimes consume the coop's raucous general meetings.

Still, the coop has survived much over its 50 years, even as its coterie of idealistic deal seekers shift from harmony to rancor and back.

As the Linewaiters' Gazette put it: "In Brooklyn in 2023, it is often a struggle to incorporate truly substantive, ethical practices into our daily lives. But year after year, new people find the Coop."