Greene Hill Food Coop

What Greene Hill Food Coop does

Greene Hill Food Coop is a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative grocery store operating from a single retail location at 1083 Fulton Street in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. Founded in 2008 and opened in December 2011, the cooperative is structured so that any adult who pays the sliding-scale membership fee ($5-$300) becomes a member-owner with full governance rights and a labor obligation of approximately 2.5 hours of shift work every four weeks. Products sold include conventional grocery staples with a focus on local, organic, and ethically-sourced items; the store partners with sustainability-data provider HowGood to surface impact ratings at the point of sale. The customer base is functionally coextensive with the membership, currently numbering approximately 400 active member-owners, down from a 2015 peak near 1,300.

The cooperative is run by a small paid staff (General Manager, Store Manager, Produce Manager) supplemented by hundreds of member-volunteer shifts, creating a lean labor cost structure relative to a comparably-sized conventional grocer. Operational technology consists of off-the-shelf tools: Humanity for shift scheduling, CiviCRM for member data, Slack for internal communications, Apache on Ubuntu for hosting, and Revel for point-of-sale. There are no proprietary technology products, AI/ML systems, or platform extensions - the offering is a physical retail grocery experience, not a software or data business.

Revenue mechanics are primarily transactional grocery sales to members, with member-fee income, community donations, and small periodic crowdfunding campaigns providing supplemental capital. Recent financial activity has been dominated by emergency and improvement fundraising ($100K in 2011, $40K in 2018, $10K in 2020) rather than growth investment, and the cooperative is currently pursuing membership recovery alongside new community-benefit programming such as SNAP Relief Gift Cards (2025-2026) and a Win-Win-Win local-producer program. The business is small, single-site, and structurally dependent on its member base rather than external financing.

Name

Greene Hill Food Coop

Legal name

Greene Hill Food Co-op

Website

https://greenehillfood.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Greene Hill Food Coop is a not-for-profit member-owned grocery store in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, where approximately 400 member-owners shop, govern, and contribute labor shifts, sustaining a single-store retail operation focused on local and ethically-sourced products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Grocery Retail

NAICS

Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Member-Owned Food Cooperatives (CRAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Natural/Organic Food Co-ops & Community Natural Grocers (CRAHAEAJ)

Keywords

• Cooperative grocery store
• Organic local produce
• Member-owned retail
• Community food access
• Sustainable household goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: The co-op operates a not-for-profit grocery store selling food and household goods to member-owners. Member-owner labor keeps overhead low, allowing lower prices. Any profits are reinvested into the store.
2. Membership Investment Fees: Member-owners pay a one-time investment to join, ranging from $5 to $300 depending on a sliding scale based on household income and qualifying circumstances. This includes a $150 base investment plus a $25 non-refundable administrative fee. Low-income qualifying residents pay as little as $5-$25 total. Investment redemptions are currently on hold per board moratorium.
3. Trial Membership Plans: A free 2-month individual trial plan (no work requirement, no investment) and a $25 non-refundable 6-month trial plan (with work requirement) serve as entry points for converting non-members to full member-owners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Greene Hill Food Co-op operates a single-site, member-owned, not-for-profit grocery store at 1083 Fulton Street in Brooklyn, NY, where member-owners purchase locally sourced, organic, Fair Trade, and sustainable food and household products. As one of the few 100% working food co-ops in the USA, every member-owner contributes 2.5 hours of labor every four weeks in exchange for shopping rights, which keeps overhead low and prices below conventional stores. Any surplus is reinvested into the store rather than distributed.

Product overview

Greene Hill Food Co-op is a single-site cooperative grocery store in Brooklyn, NY that operates as a 100% working food co-op. The core offering is member-owned grocery retail where member-owners pay a one-time investment and contribute 2.5 hours of work every four weeks in exchange for shopping rights at not-for-profit prices. Supporting services include member newsletters (The Weekly and The Quarterly), work shift tracking via the Humanity platform, committee-based participation opportunities, democratic governance through general membership meetings, EBT/SNAP acceptance for government assistance recipients, and community food education content featuring local vendor spotlights and recipes. The Co-op is not a technology platform with modular products—it is a traditional retail cooperative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Greene Hill Food Co-op Retail Grocery Store A member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative grocery store selling locally sourced, organic, Fair Trade, and sustainable food and household products to member-owners. Operates as one of a handful of 100% working food co-ops in the USA, where member labor keeps overhead low and prices lower than conventional stores.
• Member-Ownership Program Cooperative membership program granting shopping rights, voting rights, and labor obligations. Requires a one-time investment of $175 standard ($5-$300 sliding scale based on income) plus a 2.5-hour work shift every four weeks. Includes trial membership options (free 2-month or $25 6-month).

Quantifiable outcome

• Member-owner labor keeps prices significantly lower than conventional grocery stores while maintaining high product quality
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Park Slope Food Coop (PSFC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Park Slope Food Coop was instrumental in helping Greene Hill Food Co-op open. PSFC shared information, guidance, and gave their members credit for working on the formation of Greene Hill. Many Fort Greene and Clinton Hill-based PSFC members were eager to shop closer to home and helped plant the seeds of the neighborhood food cooperative. PSFC also provided operational guidance and shared learnings during Greene Hill's founding. This mentorship relationship was foundational to the co-op's establishment.
• BK ROTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBK ROT is a bike-powered, sustainable, anti-racist educational and political composting nonprofit. Since March 2019, Greene Hill Food Co-op has partnered with BK ROT to handle the co-op's organic waste composting. This partnership supports the co-op's sustainability goals and environmental commitments.
• Lancaster Farm Fresh CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative is a farmer-owned cooperative supplying fresh herbs and produce to Greene Hill. They support over 100 family farms in Lancaster County, PA. Greene Hill regularly stocks organic herbs (lemon balm, English thyme, peppermint) and seasonal produce from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, highlighting the co-op's commitment to local and sustainable sourcing.
• Equal ExchangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEqual Exchange is a democratic worker cooperative that supplies the majority of whole coffee beans sold at Greene Hill Food Co-op. This partnership aligns with the co-op's commitment to Fair Trade and ethical sourcing, supporting worker-owned businesses.
• Crown Finish CavesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrown Finish Caves is a cheese aging facility located just a few blocks from the co-op at the former Nassau Brewing Company site on Bergen and Franklin in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Greene Hill offers three of their locally aged cheeses: Smoke Signal, Tubby, and Natural Bufarolo, supporting local artisanal producers.
• Park Slope Food Coop (Win-Win-Win Program)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGreene Hill partners with local artisans and businesses through its Win-Win-Win Program, modeled after PSFC's program. Local artisan Claudia Pearson, for example, offers products (tea towels, aprons, totes) with a 10% discount for Greene Hill members. The co-op promotes these partners in-store and in newsletters.
• Community Organizations (NYCHA, FUREE, Senior Centers)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreene Hill's Outreach Committee and Food Justice team collaborate with local community organizations including NYCHA, FUREE (Families United for Racial and Economic Justice), and local senior centers to conduct store tours, address barriers to food access, and reach underrepresented communities in surrounding Brooklyn neighborhoods.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• PCC Community Markets: Large member-owned natural foods grocery co-op in the Seattle area with a long history of community ownership and focus on organic, sustainable sourcing. Same cooperative ownership and grocery retail model at significantly larger scale.
• Seward Community Co-op: Member-owned grocery co-op in Minneapolis with similar commitment to local, organic, and cooperatively sourced products. Comparable in scale and member-participation model.
• Wedge Community Co-op: Member-owned grocery co-op in Minneapolis with comparable operating philosophy of community-owned retail, local sourcing, and democratic governance.
• Park Slope Food Coop: Largest and most established member-owned food coop in Brooklyn, explicitly the founding mentor of Greene Hill. Both operate as member-owned grocery cooperatives in Brooklyn with democratic governance, similar pricing philosophy, and shared supplier network (Equal Exchange, etc.).
• Flatbush Food Coop: Another member-owned grocery coop operating in Brooklyn with similar cooperative governance and locally sourced product philosophy. Directly comparable community-led grocery model in the same city.
• Bushwick Food Coop: Brooklyn-based member-owned food coop with similar working-member requirements, sliding-scale membership considerations, and focus on serving a diverse, lower-income Brooklyn neighborhood. Directly comparable in size and operational philosophy.
• Prospect Lefferts Gardens Community Coop: Member-owned food coop in nearby Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn. Operates a similar community-led grocery model with volunteer labor and democratic governance.

Broad incumbents

• Trader Joe's: Specialty grocery chain with multiple Brooklyn locations offering curated, private-label grocery products at value pricing. Competes for the same price-conscious, quality-seeking Brooklyn shopper that Greene Hill targets.
• Whole Foods Market: Large incumbent natural and organic grocery retailer with a Brooklyn presence (e.g., Whole Foods 365). Overlaps with Greene Hill on organic, local, and ethical sourcing positioning but operates as a for-profit chain without member labor or community ownership.

Emerging players

• Food Co-op Initiative: Nonprofit that supports startup food co-ops across the US; provides resources, mentorship, and a startup curriculum that Greene Hill itself benefited from indirectly through PSFC mentorship. An ecosystem enabler rather than direct retailer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/greenehillfoodcoop
• Instagraminstagram.com/greenehillfoodcoop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greene-hill-food-coop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greene Hill Food Coop