Sustainability

When we first opened, I didn't want to hit people in the face with the fact that everything was organic & that we were a green business. After seeing that people weren't getting it, I realized I was going to have to hit people over the head. Everything is organic, but a few items, like the cheeses. I got tired of putting on the menu kale salad, made with organic kale, organic darjeeling tea, organic pear, organic olive oil, organic white wine vinegar, organic pepper, salt & humbolt fog cheese, but I think I need to do that on the next incarnation. All our cheeses are from California, with one exception. They are not certified organic cheeses, but are really reputable producers that have a great product. We do have a raw milk cheese from Spain, the manchego, it's too good & haven't found a replacement with a CA cheese. There is always that dilema. So you know I think of all the ramifications before I buy a product. To offset the fact that tea is not produced even close to here, I try to buy things made in the USA. So here is what I did to make our business green, all the glasses & plates are USA made. Sadly couldn't get silverware that was decent & made for food service, that was made here. All the teas are organic, some are even fair trade and biodynamic. All the materials that were used in the build out were as sustainable as building code allows. Denim insulation, recycled paper drywall, medite MDF, dual flush toilet, energy star appliances, industrial recycled wool felt, the list goes on. We also recycled all the existing materials that were demolished from the old business and any scrap metal, copper & pipe from the job site. I was a familiar face at the scrap yard, with my 4 year old prius, next to all the pick-ups. There are many crazy stories that go with opening a business & also with trying to really be green. So we are always striving to be as sustainable as possible & if someone has a tip, I'm all ears & if anyone knows of a truly organic local bakery that sells wholesale & is good, I'm all over it.