Crowded Park Slope Coop Is Coronavirus 'Petri Dish,' Member Says

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Crowds packed cheek-to-jowl in the Park Slope Food Coop could turn it into a "petri dish" for the new coronavirus, fears longtime member Meredith Davis.

But when Davis pleaded with the coop's higher ups to decrease the density of shoppers within the already-cramped Union Street grocery store, she said one dismissed the disease altogether.

"It's just the flu," Davis said a full-time employee told her.

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Davis said she lost sleep over the conversation and the long lines. She took to Instagram to publicly lodge her concerns, with the hashtag #parkslopepetridish.

The coop's management couldn't be reached by phone and didn't immediately return an email for comment.

It's not the first time crowds at the famed coop became an emblem of New York City's coronavirus concerns. Tales of shoppers duking it out over tuna cans recently graced the pages of the New York Post.

But Davis' worries come at a time when city and state officials have urged New Yorkers to avoid crowded subways and cancel large events. There are too many people lining up down the aisles in the coop's "very, very tight quarters," she said.

"It’s like the opposite of social distancing," Davis told Patch. "It's a petri dish in there."

Davis, a 15-year coop member, worked a shift on Thursday and repeatedly had to tell customers to keep their distance.

She said she brought up her concerns to full-time employees. Besides the worker who dismissively compared coronavirus to the flu, another shrugged it off, Davis said.

Other staff told Davis that it may be crowded but the store is following protocols, she said.

Davis left feeling disheartened and won't be going back as long as the outbreak lasts, she said.

"I'm a huge fan of the place but I just think they should be doing more," she said.

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