Flatbush Food Coop

I always shop her because there’s a lot of variety and most of the produce is affordable.

Quality of food is excellent. Staff and workers help you whenever you have a question. Excellent market to buy food.

I like shopping here because of the meat options. There is no denying that there is a shortage of quality meat shops in the Flatbush/​Prospect Lefferts Gardens/​Ditmas Park areas. I travel down to the food co-​op when I need to stock up on meat and poultry because the options here are significantly better than the options elsewhere. Sometimes, I do have to pay more for better tasting chicken but the fact of the matter is, I don’t want to die of salmonella so this is a choice I’m willing to make. That being said, the co-​op does have frequent sales that can make this choice more affordable and reasonable.
Don’t get me wrong, while perusing the aisles I file many of their products under «Things that make me go hmmm» as in «Hmmm, you must have lost your mind if you think I’m gonna pay X amount for some cheese». That being said, when it comes to meat, produce, pasta and nuts by the pound this is the place for me. Oh and candy! Call me nostalgic, but I miss the good-​old-​days of scoop candy bins and buying exactly the amount of you will actually eat. I’m over buying pre-​packaged oversized candy bags that you binge eat in one sitting only to feel like a bad person afterwards. Yeah, those bins that co-​op make me feel like I have some control over my life. I’m down for that!
And of course, the fact that you don’t have to be a member is wonderful. If you have a friend that is a member coordinate in advance so you can make it a fun friend weekend date and take advantage of their discount to boot.

No good choice for meat. chicken. Some fish. I go there only for organic vegetables and fruits

Shop the sale items. I think of this place like a regular, small NYC grocery store focusing on organic and natural foods and that’s good since that’s what I prefer to put in my body. I don’t love all the prices but its not the worst for that either. Its bigger and more spacious and cleaner than a lot of other stores, just don’t expect it to be big like a chain store. I have other sources for my produce and most other groceries, but I shop here for supplemental items since it is convenient to me, mostly snacks that are on sale and sometimes basics like milk when I need it (they carry my favorite kind from upstate NY). Sometimes they have really good deals on sale. I don’t think the service is bad as a lot of people seem to, but then I never have needed any help. The cashiers are usually friendly and quick.

I am SO lucky to live in Ditmas Park so close to the coop. Everyone is nice, honest and helpful. The supermarket is clean, well run and they have lots of humanely sourced cheeses and produce. They even have fair trade shampoo! We are here on almost a daily basis picking up vegetables and hummus to eat after work. I only wish that they had more items in store. I’d love to see more organic frozen foods and a larger selection of snack food. Overall I would recommend this place to anyone looking for delicious and ethical products.

Flatbush Food Coop is so necessary for the neighborhood because there aren’t many health markets in the area. To be honest, I don’t go there for grocery shopping because I don’t have the funds to do so but I do go there for my soaps, oils, and other organic products. As someone with severe problem skin, I have to be mindful of EVERYTHING I put on my body and FFC makes my life much easier. They have an excellent selection of soaps, lotions, deodorants, and all that jazz.

I’m forced to shop there do to the fact that there aren’t anymore healthy food stores in the area. The truth of the matter is that the food has been spoiled on 4 occasions. The first three were with the organic chicken and the fourth time was with the cucumbers. Fortunately you can smell the chicken but the cucumbers actually made me sick and when I went to complain the manager «Arif» was extremely rude. I made 6 trips to the store from sheepshead bay Brooklyn for one shopping list and I asked for a discount of 10% which would have covered my fuel costs and any wrong doing on their behalf. Instead of a discount, I was put on trial and accused of potentially lying, even though he watched me purchase the first order and refunded me the same day.
Their is a health food store on the same avenue about two blocks away with much fresher produce and nicer people, but less selection. If you can avoid Flatbush food coop, it would be in your best interest …

Lacks customer service, except for the guy in the oils section the rest of the place has a small selection of items, poor looking vegetables (most days) and the cashiers act as if are being bothered by our presence… it’s my only option where I work… I prefer to go to the other health food store on the corner Natures Land.

I have a love/​hate relationship with the Brooklyn Co-​op…
What I love: I love that it’s close to my home and offers a good selection of organic ingredients you won’t normally find at a regular supermarket. They offer a wide variety of organic seasonal veggies and fruits (eat them quickly as they will go bad sooner because they are organic) the price point is pretty good and they usually offer sales on most items. Something here are grossly over priced such as fish! I would never spend 20+ dollars on a fillet of Salmon… Whole foods doesn’t even charge that much!
What I hate: The people who work here really shouldn’t! I mean it just brings down the entire idea of the co-​op… I was in the beauty section where they also have essential oils and vitamins looking for a few different items that would best help me. There were two employees there and in the entire 20 minutes that I spent circling looking for products to purchase they carried on a conversation and not ONCE did any of them bother to ask if I needed help! Don’t believe me??? I recorded them and they had no idea because they were too busy into their conversation. I posted the video. I am sorry this is just absolutely unacceptable.
For the reasons that I love this place I will keep shopping here… But for the reason that I hate it I will make my trips shorter and farther apart…

Really fresh produce and great selection of items, especially given the small size of the store. I usually purchase all my fruits and veggies here because they always taste amazing! They also have free coupon books for monthly savings.
I subtracted a star because, like many others have mentioned before me, the staff could use some training in customer service, or manners in general. Usually, the cashiers are okay, definitely not friendly — you might get a smile from one of them if you’re lucky — but the people who stock the food are just downright mean. They come out from the back room and just sort of push customers out of the way and get really angry if you happen to be looking at food (I think that’s what most people tend to do when grocery shopping). I’m guessing their work conditions suck, so that’s probably why there is so much attitude. Just be prepared if you happen to be standing in the back near the bread and soup area, you may get pushed!

While called a co-​op, this seems more like a regular grocery store and not a well-​managed one at that. As a ‘member’ for a few years the only ‘benefit’ I get is a discount on some purchases that brings the price down from very overpriced to more acceptable on some, but not all items. Members don’t have a say in the running of the store; it’s run by the same people that formed it decades ago.
To prevent giving members the discounts entitled to, sale prices are claimed on many items which are not actually on sale as the price is the regular price and the same price as in other stores where a sales price isn’t claimed. How’s that for honesty? Bananas are an example. 99 cents is the regular price for organic bananas in many organic sections of other stores, but the FFC claims it’s a sale price so members don’t get the discount they’re entitled to. Same ruse is done with other products as well.
The salad greens are drowned in too much water spray and as a result, rot very quickly after buying. Although many have complained about the excessive spray, nothing changes.
And the use of excessive plastic bags is abhorrent in a store claiming to have environmental concerns. Cashiers regularly double-​bag light purchases that don’t need it. Again, complaints go nowhere.
Now that there are better options such as Whole Foods and the WT co-​op, I’m seriously thinking of dropping my membership as I’m shopping more elesewhere and less at FFC.

I became a member of the Flatbush food coop a few weeks ago & whenever I’m in the area, I usually get one of the made-​to-​order vegetable juice drinks that they make at the deli. The people behind the deli counter are usually very friendly & nice.
Unfortunately today (Sat., ⁴⁄₁₈) was a different story, I ordered a vegetable juice & I requested a substitution for one of the vegetables. I returned not long after to pickup my drink at about 3:25pm & I saw instantly that my order was wrong due to the color of my drink. It was green. I had asked them to include a beet which makes the drink a cranberry-​like color.
I pointed the mistake out to the young woman who made the drink & she said that I had been «ranting» (when I made my order). Yes, she did say ranting… & that was basically why the order got messed up. Really?
Maybe I was ranting (some things are subjective) but that hardly excuses the absolute lack of customer service & just plain rudeness of this worker. I do know that if I do see this woman behind the deli counter the next time I’m there, I will not order anything from the deli.

Compared to the whole foods in brooklyn this placed is way overpriced, and their fresh grocery section section is not trully fresh, it seems like the products have been sutting in fridge for a while before they are put out. Some of the vegetables and fruits go bad a day or two after purchase.

Today I revisited the Co-​Op and decided to join as a member. I took a closer look at their bulk section and was so impressed by the offerings they had managed to fit into such a small space. The Frontier loose teas are fantastic — so many great therapeutic herbs that you simply can’t find around the Flatbush area. The produce was amazing as usual — organic heirloom tomatoes were on sale, as were the fingerling potatoes from last week. This time I visited during the hours of peak traffic (5 – 7 PM for most grocery stores) and the line wasn’t bad at all.

If you like long lines that snake down the entire length of the grocery store, then I have failed to convey my sarcasm. I suppose the word «co-​op» makes it special, and so does the food. But let me get back to the long lines snaking down the entire length of the grocery store: they are long. And they snake. Down the entire length. Of the store. Maybe Whole Foods should take over the universe.
I shouldn’t hate. This was the only place within blocks that I could find coriander. Thus the lines???

This place has a very solid selection of products and a large array of bulk grains, cereals, nuts etc. Definitely more expensive than other places that sell similar items however it’s conveniently located and open late, always there in a recipe pinch, nice staff. It only sucks when you get stuck in line next to a hippie that bathes once a week but that happens everywhere. Due to pricing I wouldn’t make this my main grocery store but for a local Ditmas Park place it fits the bill. Plus in the 12 years I’ve lived in the area, it keeps steadily improving.

This is a great place to shop. You don’t have to be a member. It’s also a good place to visit. Make a day of it. It’s on a bustling road with a library branch down the street. There are bagel shops, sushi joints, Mexican restaurants, and diners to eat in near by.
I came to the coop to get a particular plant based permanent hair color in red. Red is hard to find. And in the commercial reds… very debilitating and my hair was thinning. I found an exquisite red here. I also got wonderful natural soaps I gave as a Christmas gift. Naturally, you can shop for food too. You can also browse. I did. I walked around the store looking at spices, and flours (many kinds) and rice, as well as a canned good aisle that could equal any grocery store.

Finding myself a home that straddles the land of the Orthodox and the Ruskyie makes for some difficult grocery shopping depending on the weather and the time of year. I sometimes have to go to 5 different markets to get all the things I need. The Coop has solved my food shlep by offering a huge selection of organic products, especially the produce, and ethnic treats that can be done in one train ride to and from. Yes, maybe the staff at times (especially when they make announcements) can be a little aloof… even rude, although hearing them yell at each other is kind of entertaining, I just fill my little basket, stand in line and pay for my stuff knowing that when I get home I will be eating my tres leches cheese and dandelion greens in peace.

Someday I hope to be able to afford making this my only store.
I like browsing here for special things I wouldn’t always buy in order to spice up my regular grocery shopping. Their granola bar is pretty nuts (see what I did there?) and also pretty cheap. A bucket of the good stuff for around $ 3. MMM-​HMMM, BABY.
In general, the produce is quite expensive and some of the packaged goods are cheaper. Nearly everything I’ve bought here has been on sale. So, like I said, I wouldn’t make it my one-​stop spot.