Written By Holly Blackman
Peruvian coffee caught Leslie Dwyer's eye outside of Healthy Home Market, taking her back to when she studied in Peru, so she decided to stop and talk to Tony. Once she learned more about Enderly's efforts in West Charlotte and found out Enderly Coffee could provide whole bean decaf coffee that is processed without chemicals, needless to say, the partnership was in the bag! She knew she wanted Enderly to be a part of the Sustainable Saturdays she was planning in The Barn, a 1700 square foot building serving as a grassroots version of a community center (a desperate need in Plaza Midwood!)
Pure Pizza owner Juli Ghazi, who earlier this year made national news when a picture of her letter to customers regarding unisex bathrooms went viral, had the vision for Sustainable Saturdays to include local vendors committed to sustainable practices. In steps Leslie, whose background is public finance and small business development, and she's making it happen every Saturday from 9 am - Noon. Sustainability is thrown around as a buzz word, much like organic, but Juli outlines what a comprehensive Sustainable business looks like in her philosophy on the website. Like Pure Pizza, Enderly Coffee is intentional about our business model, aspects from employee treatment, waste, to the types of coffee we import, etc., so it was a natural fit to be a part of the Sustainable Saturday movement with the other following friends. Here's a brief intro:
Central Food Hub - Importer of fresh, local produce and honey from all local farms whose practices are sustainable. Did I say local?! Pat Farrell has wonderful relationships with local farmers as she assures organic, sustainable practices are being used on each farm sending delicious strawberries, greens, you name it, to the barn.
The Gateau Baking Company - Check out their Facebook page to see their beautiful, mouthwatering creations!
VivaRaw- Juicer whose website calls them, "The New Milkman”.
Joe's Doughs - They will be making appearances throughout the summer, stay tuned to their social media for their popup schedule.
Live Music will be there to entertain. Leslie is always looking for local musicians who want to break in on the Farmer's Market Music Scene.
The Underground Truffle - The neighborhood's favorite chocolatier who handcrafts dark chocolate bars and truffles, infusing some with dried fruits and nuts, and after you check them out, no need to keep them a secret. They're willing to go "above ground" with it like the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt!
Kids activities are planned every weekend that so far includes Kids yoga - by Kim Bogert of Grow Kids Yoga, Kids Gardening by Bobbie Mabe of Growth Through Gardening and teen entrepreneur training by Janaya Jenkins. Follow Pure Pizza's Facebook page to what's planned for each weekend! (The sack race that broke out in a pile of coffee bean bags donated by Enderly for art and gardening projects wasn't on the calendar.)
...the best part is all of our new friends are even cooler in person, so come meet 'em! Start a new Saturday morning routine, and instead of cartoons and commercialized coffee, head to the barn for a fun way for your kids (fur babies included) to start the day, a sweet treat and produce for the week AND a real cup of coffee from Enderly Coffee because as Juli states on Facebook, "Coffee makes [people] feel like [they] have [their] life together." See ya Saturday!
Comments