Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Waitresses Save Environment with Pin-Up Calendar
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 26, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 26, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Fort Greene’s Habana Outpost – the Brooklyn spin-off of Nolita’s popular Café Habana – bills itself as New York’s first “eco-eatery”. The indoor/outdoor flea market/café/artist community runs on solar power and rainwater-flushing toilets, uses biodegradable cups, and boasts a bike-powered blender to mix their smoothies and margaritas.
Although the funky earth-friendly establishment shuts down during the winter months, they’ve left their clientele with a little parting gift to keep them warm until spring. Inspired by vintage Mexican calendar models, the Outpost is selling cheesecake calendars featuring Habana Outpost waitresses in various photogenic poses. By today’s salacious standards, the calendar would barely merit a PG rating, and all of the waitresses volunteered and chose their own attire. As owner Sean Meenan told The Brooklyn Paper, “We’re trying to be progressive and look forward through environmentalism, but at the same time, we’re trying to be old school New York.”
Naturally, the Habana Girls calendars are printed on recycled paper with vegetable ink, with proceeds raising money for Habana Works, a non-profit that sponsors free sustainable design workshops. And next year Meenan intends to make the 3-year-old restaurant equipped to stay open year round, so ardent admirers of the Habana Outpost staff won’t need a calendar to survive winter ‘09.
Tagged
As
bike
brooklyn
brooklyn paper
design
food
fort greene
Habana Outpost
habanacafe
habanaoutpost
models
money
new york
sponsors
The Brooklyn
the brooklyn paper
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .