“We started to co-op not just to be able to afford better food but also we thought striving for community success was extremely important,” said Joe Holtz, general manager and co-founder of Park Slope Food Coop.

The successful store has been running since 1973 and boasts 16,000 active members, and Holtz has been there for it all. The man who wears many different hats for the co-op is stepping down in June 2025. Members say they are concerned about the future of the co-op without Joe.

"It's not about I, it's about we, and that includes the management of this place. Which means there's a whole group of people that are exposed to the problems of running this place," said Holtz.