A Sustainable Coffeehouse - The Green Beanery

It is not every day that one "gets" to test out a Theo Dark Chocolate Mocha for article research!  That is where I found myself this morning in preparation for my interview - the first business in my upcoming series.

The series includes highlighting Eastside businesses that have progressively incorporated sustainability into their practices.  Today's business, The Green Beanery is located in Kirkland, just a stone throw away from the Redmond border.  This drive-up and walk-up coffee house is situated in the Bridle Trails Shopping Center near the corner of Old Redmond Road and 132nd Ave NE.

 The idea for which business to interview first, came to me when I was purchasing a Spicy Chai Latte one morning.  The barista that morning also happened to also be the owner Deanna Shifton.  To my inquiry of "So, are you more green than just your Coffee and Dairy Products" was met with such a well rounded level of sustainability answer that I was soon in email contact with Deanna to make an interview appointment.

Owner and Barista Deanna Shifton

THE BUILDING -  On the first level of sustainability was the coffee house building itself.  Deanna had obtained it just before it was to be demolished and then pretty much had it cut out of the ground and moved to the current site.  Then her father, a Construction Company Owner himself,  green retrofitted and added on to the coffeehouse using reclaimed lumbar.  Pictures of this process can be viewed on the Green Beanery Facebook page.

Menu including the Dark Theo and the Unique White Chocolate made straight from bars and without corn syrup.

Answer the day's trivia and get 20cents off!

 A native of Redmond and with a degree in Mathematics to her name, Deanna decided to open up a coffeehouse based on her experience as a barista at a number of other places.  And why organic? - "That's just how I am" she says.  She speaks of a number of influences she had growing up.  As a kid, her family was a NW outdoorsy one with a number of camping outings, followed by her attending the 3-year Junior High EAS Enviornmental and Adventure Choice School with even more camping outings as well as a trip to Peru.  Also while living at home, due to her mother's health issues at the time, the household switched over to an all Organic and nutrient enriched diet.  As Deanna started benefiting from this diet herself, she noticed her awareness grow in other Environmental areas too.

Regulars on a rainy morning

THE BEANS - Deanna's first impression of how beans are grown was on her Junior High Peru trip, while flying over part of the Tropical Rain forrest and seeing lots of green and then all of a sudden a large patch of brown.  She was able to witness first-hand what a slash and burn plantation looked like.  The espresso beans she purchases are Shade Grown, meaning they are grown underneath the canopy of the rain forrest.  They are also Fair Trade or in other words Fair Price.  Her supplier Grounds for Change also has a carbon free program, where they buy carbon credits to offset their carbon footprint.  Grounds for Change is located and roasts the beans in Poulsbo, Washington.

Organic, Fair Trade and Shade Grown Espresso

THE MILK -  Finding the right supplier for her milk's and creams was important for Deanna.  She also pondered whether to make Organic milk an option or whether to make it standard.  I was especially

Milk that is not only Organic, but also from a local family owned farm with happy cows that are pastured during the warmer months of the year.

paying attention to her answer, knowing there is an amount of green washing when it comes to the organic label.  To my relief, she was very selective and after testing the milk products at Whole Food Demos and Seattle's Coffee Fest she selected Bellingham's Fresh Breeze.  A new term I learned in connection to this farm and milk processing is the term, Vat Pasteurized.  By pasteurizing at a lower temperature, the milk ends up containing a ton more of it's nutrients including proteins than it does using the typical ultra-pasteruizing methods.  This is one of the last farms to still process milk this way and this is due to the higher expense of this process.

Photo of a Happy Cow displayed on Green Beanery shelf.

Organic Syrups and Organic Fair Trade Chocolates

OTHER SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES - The Green Beanery uses compostable cups and straws.   They participate in the City of Kirkland regular Recycling and Food Waste Recycling programs to the point that the regular garbage (as small or smaller than a tall kitchen size container) hardly needs to be emptied each week.

Displaying a made with Renewable Resources and Compostable Cup

A fellow barista, Kasey, mentioned that since working there her general awareness for the environment has increased as well.  She is now involving her children more in her home recycling program.

View from window into the Bridle Trails Shopping Area

CUSTOMERS - Deanna has received positive feedback and appreciation since opening.  Customer's have told her they like that The Green Beanery is sustainable, they like the coffee, they appreciate the compostable cups, they like the Organic menu and they do not mind paying the few cents more to be assured that there are no pesticides in the products and it is better for the environment.

Handing customer's their drinks

Hot Chocolate for the Ride

And from my own morning, ahem....research, I have to say that I give my two thumbs up to the Theo Dark Chocolate Mocha.  I'm adding it to one of my favorite espresso but not so sugary drinks!

Next week and next in series, I will be traveling to the Waste Management Cascade's single stream recycling facility to find out how Eastside recyclables are processed.