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October 31, 2007
StreetLevel: At Oko, Solar Energy and Bad Vibes
Oko, the frozen yogurt shop that opened on Fifth Avenue a few months ago, is bringing the heat—and getting some of its customers hot and bothered. The store, which already boasts eco-friendly creds like biodegradable packaging and bamboo walls, recently installed a new awning with solar panels that are going to help power some of its appliances. Oko’s think-global-act-local m.o. isn’t enough for a couple folks on Brooklynian who say the pricey eatery is skimping on toppings. Per one post:
I've heard that the owner was unhappy with the amount of toppings being given and ordered the staff to scale back their generosity. Last night, we saw this when my partner ordered a regular (ie, medium) with raspberries and got a grand total of SEVEN berries. Seven. My toppings, while less sparse, were still solidly on the unsatisfying side.
Any truth to the frugal froyo rumors? GMAP
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Comments
people will bitch about anything.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 2:42 PM
One person (who since returned to Oko and found the large portions restored) started the complaint, and a few others backed it up. Still, most on that bulletin board find Oko a wonderful place with generous portions and a great attitude (toward the environment, at least!)
For what it's worth, I too have had Oko with raspberries many times, and while they may not have been numerous, those berries are gigantic - so 7 might be the equivalent of 15 in 'regular' berry... any more would have fallen out of the cup.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 2:44 PM
i can't comment on the amount of toppings, i've only been there once. but the chocolate chips i got on top of my yogurt were TERRIBLE. tooth-chippingly hard and flavorless.
kudos on the solar panels, though!
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 2:44 PM
I went there once and got THREE blueberries on my small. Three.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 2:44 PM
and bitches will bitch about people who bitch.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 2:45 PM
Lady I got just the "topping" for you.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 2:45 PM
Oko is Pinkberry x 100.
I love it so very much, and yet I must agree that the raspberry scandal rings of truth.
Let's be honest though: solar panels result in raspberry skimpage? Sounds fishy to me...
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 2:53 PM
Those berries are grown on land that would be better planted with CO2-generating trees, and they are shipped in gas-burning trucks. We are skimping on the toppings to save the Earth!
You will take your three raspberries and like it, pig!
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 2:57 PM
the douchebaggery on this site is mind blowing.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:01 PM
go to Mcdonalds and get a Mcflurry you hosers. They was a time only vicadin was sold on 5th so its yogurt, now. and no rasberries. that sucks
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:05 PM
People are suckers for marketing. I wonder how many people would be lining up for TCBY in 2007?
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:07 PM
and people wonder why park slope has a reputation for being 99% nuts.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:07 PM
Once again Mr. Butler tackles the most pressing issues facing our great borough. Kudos!
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:11 PM
they were skimpy with the toppings from day one. I could count the number of choco chips w/ one hand and there were 4 quarters of strawberries (actually it was less than one whole strawberry.) not impressed
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:16 PM
3:11...
Gabby wrote this article number one.
Number two, what pressing issue facing our great borough have you tackled today besides criticizing another human being?
The wrong one, I might add.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:18 PM
I would like to know how many appliances they expect to run of 6 solar panels? These panels are not just for show. They have to be facing South for direct sunlight for most of the day which is why most people put them on top of buildings.
If you examine how much energy actually went into making the solar panels and how much energy they will be able to generate, there is a huge difference..... Not very green at all in my eyes!!
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:19 PM
I love this place!! The yogurt is fantastic (not too sweet...similar to the Fage Greek yogurt, but frozen) and I've never once had an issue with toppings. I go here about once a week, and on more than one occassion the blueberries fell off the edge.
I've taken a few former Pinkberryholics here over the past several months and every one said they preferred Oko.
I still have never tried Pinkberry so I can't compare, but I certainly am happy they are in the neighborhood.
And delighted about the "green" ways.
More should follow suit.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:20 PM
um, who cares? nothing else worth posting i guess...
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:22 PM
considering there's been 20 comments in the last 40 mins, I think some people do care negative nancy...i mean 3:22.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:33 PM
i live in park slope and eat at oko
and I agree that park slope is completely crazy
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:36 PM
3:19: What you said.
I hate feel-good no-thought green. It's like those hybrid cars that save gas by using electricity...electricity generated by burning oil and coal, or hydrogen that costs more energy to extract and store than it saves.
I'd chalk it up to fashion, only people get so religious about it... OMG! GREEN! WE ARE SAVING THE WORLD!
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:37 PM
It's better than no solar panels.
And using electricity to run cars is better than using gasoline.
People who are all or nothing usually end up with the latter in life.
Certainly handing over a couple thousand dollars to buy the solar panels did not use any coal, so what't your beef exactly?
That the whole f*cking place isn't run on wind power?
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:40 PM
I almost never get a topping, but have always thought the serving size of the froyo didn't match the cup. seems that if they're so green they wouldn't over-package by only half-filling the cups.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:44 PM
Simple, those panels will not work! They are for feel good only. If you don't believe me, why would they place all the panels in the shade including two panels on the right hand side under a fire escape ladder? does not make any sense other than a marketing ploy.
For a solar installation, you would require at least 22 solar panels in direct sunlight to gain just 4 to 5 kW of power, think about it?
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:47 PM
Since I don't think 99% of people walking by would think those are anything other than decoration on an orange awning, I don't see how your marketing excuse flies?
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:49 PM
Hey - I started the OP over on Brooklynian (which was totally true) and have since followed up with more recent experiences that were very generous on the toppings.
I started the post bc I felt that, if I'm paying $10 for two yogurts, I expect more than a dusting of topping. That said, Oko rocks and I go there nearly every night.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:53 PM
I thought they were real!
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 3:57 PM
3:40: "Certainly handing over a couple thousand dollars to buy the solar panels did not use any coal, so what't your beef exactly?"
And do you think these solar panels popped magically into existence? Or did they use energy to produce? Perhaps, as suggested, more energy than they can ever hope to generate? And you think this is good why?
"And using electricity to run cars is better than using gasoline."
And again, how is the electricity produced? By magic? And how about the batteries? The creation of both takes a bunch of oil. You know, that same stuff gasoline's made from.
Green is excellent if it's not simply shifting energy usage behind the scenes, or even worse, used as an ignorant and hypocritical fashion statement or marketing tool.
But carry on with your knee-jerk reactions...
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:08 PM
I would say talking about these particular solar panels as if you invented them without knowing really anything about them is more a knee jerk reaction than anything else said on this thread so far.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:11 PM
Solar panels good. Rambling vitriol bad.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:20 PM
I design photovoltaic systems and I agree with 4:08, those shown in the photo are an ignorant and hypocritical fashion statement!
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:20 PM
I don't believe making an attempt at living green is ignorant nor hypocritical.
What exactly is hypocritical about it?
None of this changes the fact that they've got the best damn frozen yogurt of anywhere in the city.
When you open your own frozen yogurt shop, you can line the whole place with solar panels and windmills. Until that time comes, you can shut your face.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:24 PM
Well I certainly have my doubts about the effectiveness of east facing solar panels BUT hybrid cars dont get their power from electricity generated by the electric utility - hybrids (available to the public) generate electricity (and power) through burning the gasoline you put in the tank and through regenerative braking.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:25 PM
Holy crapola! That OKO yogurt is nasty! I tried some for the first time ever and seriously wanted to puke afterwards.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:30 PM
Are you 5, 4:30?
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:39 PM
Solar panels whatever, It does not matter much when the Stinky MTA buses go up and down 5th ave all night and day, polluting the world. or how about key food with there freezers and open shelves holding the chicken, wasters of energy. We need to harness all the negative energy from the Key Food checkout girls and power the yogurt machines, then we will end up all sending our kids to PS 321...
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:39 PM
How about this OKO, Turn off your big screen TV that hangs in your store then you would not need those stupid solar panels...
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:41 PM
Hey, how about they just stop making the Yogurt all together and have the cashiers start running around the store in shifts to harness and power the electricity for their new business of making this the greenest business in the neighborhood so all of its idiotic residents will be happy.
What the hell is wrong with you, 4:41?
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:45 PM
If we could harness the awesome power of trolling, these comments could fuel enough yogurt production to feed one hundred Yoko Onos FOREVER...
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 4:46 PM
oko is so good. i skip the toppings, myself, but that's mainly because other peoples' topping have appear overly generous to me. it's not tasty-d people, it has flavor without all the stuff on it. i'd like one in fort greene or clinton hill, but i guess it is a better fit in park slope.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 5:00 PM
how about no one ever produces anything anywhere ever again?
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 5:02 PM
we're already there, 5:02, soaking in it as we type.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 5:40 PM
perplexing that they'd put solar panels on and then serve yogurt with out of season fruit that had to travel many many miles in a gas-guzzling truck.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 7:59 PM
you're right. it would be better to serve yogurt with acorns from prospect park.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 8:55 PM
Ive never had their yogurt but love their tea. That being said, it's about 4 bucks a cup.I cant make it a regular thing but it's really good
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 9:54 PM
the place is too self-consciously eco, and as the solar panels attest it is mainly for show. What is ecological about a plasma tv or running the a/c at 65 degrees when it was 90 outside? all the signs shouting about this or that. And finally, their main mission is to sell an over-priced chemical confection generated by power hungry appliances?
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 10:47 PM
people should just live off what they can forage.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 10:53 PM
Squirrels are tasty and local.
Posted by: guest at October 31, 2007 11:45 PM
People on brooklynian.com do nothing but complain. I've never encountered such a miserable, whiny group of people.
Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 9:30 AM
9:30 - Ever been to Curbed.com?
Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 12:50 PM
It's not necessary to actually DO something about the environment, just as long as it APPEARS you're doing something!
Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 2:05 PM
You people are ridiculous.
This place is more green than 99% of businesses in New York City.
Their spoons, the containers...ALL OF IT...is made from compressed sunflowers.
I believe even the walls are freakin recycled.
Good lord. Some people will NEVER be happy.
Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 2:36 PM
i only see 6 solar panels! what a rip off!
Posted by: guest at November 1, 2007 4:41 PM
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