(Note: This piece was written more than a year ago. We’ve posted it here unchanged as a statement of what we wanted to accomplish. How successful have we been? What obstacles did we encounter? Were we too ambitious? We’re happy to discuss any of this with you in person, or just be patient and we’ll update this site soon to let you know.)

We’re building a brand new cafe / beer & wine / live entertainment / art gallery venue in Sand City’s West End. Maybe you’ve heard. The project is located in the old Couroc factory building at 1725 Contra Costa. We’re calling it The Ol’ Factory Cafe (Get it? It’s an old factory building, it’ll smell good and…well, we thought it was clever.)

Our goal is to make this new cafe completely green, sustainable, and LEED certified the first of its kind on the Monterey peninsula. To meet that goal, we are using a mix of:

• Reclaimed (old wood timbers, plank flooring and re-used steel elements)
• Recycled (shredded denim insulation, countertops made of broken glass and metal shavings, and ‘drywall’ made of wheat husks, soybeans, compressed paper,and nut hulls)
• Eco-friendly (milk-based paints and eco-resin panels)
• Sustainable (bamboo and cork) materials for interior applications and furnishings

We’re installing a biomass burning ‘wood stove’ at one end, and a clean-burning, alternative-fuel (denatured alcohol), open flame hearth at the other. We’re incorporating passive solar design to heat the interior space, and solar tubes to light the kitchen. We’re installing rooftop solar panels and a wind turbine as sources of renewable energy. We’re planning for a water cistern as well. The staff will wear shirts made of 90% - 97% bamboo fibers. We’re installing waterless urinals and dual-flush toilets.

You get the idea. But that’s not all

Our chef is pretty committed, too. He’s completely dedicated to the inter-related concepts of sustainable, locally-grown, small farm-produced, humanely-raised, organic, and artisan-crafted. Whether it’s the meat, seafood, cheese, produce, or ingredients he uses, he’s devoted to sustainable sourcing and working with the farmers and producers who supply his kitchen.

Coffees and teas? The vast majority of our coffees will be triple-certified organic, shade-grown, and Fair or Direct Trade. The same goes for our bulk teas and chocolates. We are working with the finest roasters and importers in the country.

Our beer and wine selection will also be inspiring. Some of the world’s finest craft beers and highest quality (yet affordable) wines will be available. Most of them organic, biodynamic, and artisan crafted. You may have thought that eco-friendly beers and wines didn’t really exist in great numbers, but you’d be wrong. And we’re focusing on creating a fabulous, world-class selection.

Looking forward to some great artwork and live music? You’re in luck. What you’ll see on the walls and hear on our stage will be pretty “organic” as well. So is our goal of profit-sharing and health benefits for our employees-er, employee-owners. Our paper products will be re-cycled coming in and going out. Our “plastic” cups will be corn-based, compostable, and bio-degradable. Our containers and packaging will be take-back and re-usable. Our kitchen waste products will be re-cycled or composted. We would like our classic company vehicle to be converted to bio-diesel. Or electric?

Yup, we’re pretty excited about pulling this off. And we’re looking for some help. We are interested in finding investors who can assist us in reaching these goals. Why? Because, unfortunately, “alternative” materials are still considerably pricier than conventional choices. And because you may have more ideas we haven’t thought of yet. And because we want to do it right, right from the start.

So, are you interested? Do you know someone who is? Let’s talk.

We firmly believe that we cannot continue consuming ourselves into oblivion.
We believe there s a better way to do the most obvious things.
We are committed to the philosophy of sustainability.
And to sustainable foods, beverages, and businesses.
And to renewable energy sources.
And to the future.

Are you?