Designed Sustainability

I was in Culver City the other week and passed by a forgotten favorite restaurant:  Tender Greens.  It's not just that the food is delicious - it is - but that the company tries to treat the ingredients with respect.  Organic when possible, always locally sourced, the produce is as fresh as it comes.  The proteins are free range, grass-fed, or caught off the coast of California.

Beyond that, though, the company tries to impart a sense of community at their locations.  Cafeteria-style lines past the made-to-order salads encourage conversation among patrons.  Tables set close-ish to each other do the same.  Fostering this sense of fellowship on that level is indicative of what Tender Greens tries to do for the local economy.

By using almost entirely local products (save for some oils, mustards, etc., which are often imported from Europe), the company is building a relationship with the people surrounding it. 

*In this series, we'll be spotlighting a different company doing its part to grow its local economy or have a positive impact on its surrounding area, in whatever way is appropriate.