Get a Roberta’s Frozen Pizza and Support the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Too

Pick up a Roberta’s frozen pizza and support the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo: Mike O’Dea

I haven’t actually made my way to the new Whole Foods in Gowanus yet, but I’ve heard from a number of trusted sources that there’s an entire Brooklyn section stocked with pickles, jams, ice cream and prepared foods, like frozen pizzas from Roberta’s and pot pies from Pie Corps. Also, savory yogurt is becoming a thing, and you can get the Blue Hill Farms version only at Whole Foods locations around the city, including Gowanus, in flavors like roasted parsnip, beet, tomato and squash. Reserving judgment on that trend, but my curiosity is piqued.

In any case, while Whole Foods isn’t part of my regular shopping routine, and the Union Square store is actually a lot closer for those of us willing to admit that we live along the L, it seems like Saturday is a good day to go check out the new spot–it’s the Brooklyn store’s first 5% Day.

Whole Foods realizes that they can’t just plunk down a store in Brooklyn without opening themselves up to all manner of scrutiny, snark and snarl (whether it’s anti-hipster, you-kids-stay-off-my-porch-ness, or indier-than-though-ness, we’re a pretty clannish bunch in Kings County), so, amongst all sorts of other bells and whistles you’ve probably already ready about (a rooftop farm, reclaimed building materials, green everything), they’re holding seasonal 5% Days, during which a local non-profit partner gets 5% of the day’s sales. This Saturday is the first one and it benefits the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  Future partners include The Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Arts Gowanus, and PS 118, and 5% of sales (rather than 5% of profit) is pretty sweet. So when you buy a Roberta’s frozen pizza for $11, about .50 goes to the BBG, without you doing anything at all, other than showing up and buying fancy frozen pizza.

To further benefit the BBG, nab one of these fig totes any day of the week–they’re on sale now. It’s a better than average tote to add to your collection, and proceeds go toward planting fig trees around Brooklyn.