Organic Fresh Market — Local services in New York

I recently found this market and wanted to love and support the business, but there is a man that works here that went out of his way to make me uncomfortable on only my second visit. When I walked in, he was fully leaning over the counter on the customer side, looking at a phone. When I went to look for my first item, he rushed over to me and started unpacking a product directly next to my head with no regard to me being right there or interest in saying excuse me. I immediately knew that something was not right about this, and moved several feet away for a different item away from him. So, I already changed my shopping to distance myself from an employee with no respect for my space. When I found another item and simply needed to pass by the man to go to find my next item, he waited until I was passing and threw his arm back to elbow me. He did not even attempt to say sorry, I paused to give him the opportunity without reacting to being hit by him, so it was 100% on purpose and he was waiting to make me uncomfortable for the second time. When I said, "excuse me?" then he gave an empty sorry, because he didn't think I would say anything as a young woman. When I finished my shopping and was clearly walking to the register, he looked at me and went back to leaning over the register to get in my way for the third time, so I pretended to look for another item and let a man who was shopping go in front of me. When this employee realized another man was trying to pay for his items and not me, he looked at me and quickly got out of the mans way, giving his space. I waited in line, and when it was my turn, he got closer to me again. When I was done paying, this employee, for the fourth time, walked directly to the side of me, so I would have bumped into him had I started moving towards the door. Because I had been aware of his behavior for my entire shopping experience, me and the man waiting behind me in line just stared at him until he moved, and I still had to squeeze by the employee to leave. This is harassment, and there is no way to justify this kind of behavior with only 2 to 3 other customers inside the store the entire time, within a 5 minute grocery stop. I would have contacted the owners or management directly, but there is no contact for them readily available, and the kind cashier I spoke to after the fact only had a personal email that doesn't seem to...

This review has been long overdue. I’ve held off on writing it because I wanted to make sure my experience was consistent — and I can now say that it has been, in the best ways.

Living in a low-income neighborhood, I’ve unfortunately grown used to dealing with predatory pricing, inconsistent customer service, and stores that show little respect for the community they serve. This store, however, has been a breath of fresh air. The prices are fair, the reward program actually feels rewarding, and I’m often able to get a real bang for my buck thanks to their deals and sales.

The owner, Salah, is respectful, warm, and has built a sense of trust with many regular customers, myself included. That rapport goes a long way — it makes a difference knowing you’re being treated like a human being, not just a transaction.

That said, I want to offer honest feedback because I value this store and want to see it thrive: — Certain items stay out of stock for far too long, which can be frustrating. — Occasionally, expired or perished items are still left on the shelves. — And there was one incident where a male employee made me feel extremely uncomfortable while shopping. It was unsettling enough that I’ve remained cautious since then.

Despite those concerns, this store still stands out for its consistency, respectfulness, and value in a neighborhood that desperately needs more places like it. I hope this review helps others — and I hope it encourages the store to keep improving, because the foundation here is...

Prices are decent, but that’s all that keeps this from a 1-star review.

The most egregious incident came when I brought up a bottle of BBQ sauce to the counter. It didn’t scan, so the employee asked the manager for help. The manager scanned the barcode on his phone, did some things on the phone, then just said “seven”. The employee rang it at $7. When I went back to the shelf, it was priced at $4.99. I had to wait for other customers to be issued my refund, which the manager did not know how to do properly. After spending a couple minutes hitting keys over and over, the manager popped open the cash drawer and handed me $2 cash. Even though I was owed $2.01 (obv not the point but still) and had paid with a credit card.

Almost every time I go, they have some kind of issue at the checkout counter that takes far too long to resolve. Employees don’t seem prepared to deal with problems at all, including the manager.

And be extra aware of expiration dates on your items. They have a box of gum on the counter right next to the checkout that expired...