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CERO partner since
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Composted
lbs food waste
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Mitigated
tons CO2e
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Which is equal to taking
cars off the road for a year
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Making it in the restaurant industry is no easy task. According to a study by Ohio University, 80% of new restaurants fail in the first five years. So, what does it take to be in that top 20%? Many food blogs and restaurant gurus will tell you that it's a numbers game: efficiency, planning, and good accounting being paramount. They certainly wouldn't be wrong. However, Boston-based b.good is doing much more than that.
After twelve years of growth, opening their doors at 40 locations (including one in Switzerland) and garnering dozens of awards and accolades, here are some of the ways b.good is setting the new standard for successful, community-focused business.
After twelve years of growth, opening their doors at 40 locations (including one in Switzerland) and garnering dozens of awards and accolades, here are some of the ways b.good is setting the new standard for successful, community-focused business.
1. Make the most of your mistakes.
Can you turn your mistakes into opportunities? How about into a farm, on an island? After making a mistake on a catering order for a large summer camp located on Long Island in Boston Harbor, b.good visited the camp to make amends in person. In talking with the camp staff, a vision was formed to use abandoned land on the island to grow food. Just a few months later, b.good is running Hannah Farm on the property and donating 75% of what they grow back to the summer camp and to communities in need. The rest goes back to b.good's restaurants and prep kitchens, where the scraps are picked up to be composted. The finished soil is then delivered back out to Hannah Farm, completing the food loop.
Can you turn your mistakes into opportunities? How about into a farm, on an island? After making a mistake on a catering order for a large summer camp located on Long Island in Boston Harbor, b.good visited the camp to make amends in person. In talking with the camp staff, a vision was formed to use abandoned land on the island to grow food. Just a few months later, b.good is running Hannah Farm on the property and donating 75% of what they grow back to the summer camp and to communities in need. The rest goes back to b.good's restaurants and prep kitchens, where the scraps are picked up to be composted. The finished soil is then delivered back out to Hannah Farm, completing the food loop.
2. No customers, and no employees.
Instead, b.good affectionately refers to their staff and patrons as "family." And it's not just talk. The healthy fast-food pioneer treats its family like family should, with surprise gifts of free food through their mobile app, even allowing family to donate gifts to local charities or share with friends.
Instead, b.good affectionately refers to their staff and patrons as "family." And it's not just talk. The healthy fast-food pioneer treats its family like family should, with surprise gifts of free food through their mobile app, even allowing family to donate gifts to local charities or share with friends.
3. Celebrate partners.
Inside the door of every b.good location, you'll find a map illustrating the farmers and makers that supply the ingredients for your soon-to-be lunch. This not only promotes the folks doing hard work behind the scenes, but also promotes transparency and fosters trust and accountability in the "family".
Inside the door of every b.good location, you'll find a map illustrating the farmers and makers that supply the ingredients for your soon-to-be lunch. This not only promotes the folks doing hard work behind the scenes, but also promotes transparency and fosters trust and accountability in the "family".
4. Empower communities.
b.good created the b.good Family Foundation to enable inspired individuals to tackle the issues that matter to them. Using the proceeds from its events and fundraisers, the foundation provides micro-grants to real people with a vision to improve their community. Recently funded projects include building a skatepark for at-risk youth, and fashioning urban gardens that donate produce to those in need.
b.good created the b.good Family Foundation to enable inspired individuals to tackle the issues that matter to them. Using the proceeds from its events and fundraisers, the foundation provides micro-grants to real people with a vision to improve their community. Recently funded projects include building a skatepark for at-risk youth, and fashioning urban gardens that donate produce to those in need.
There's something special about a for-profit company that not only believes in giving back, but knows how to make it happen. b.good has made this a habit, and the results can be seen in their loyal "family," and in the lives they impact directly through food donations and community micro-grants. But let's not forget, b.good has a fantastic product, which simply can't be overlooked when we're talking about restaurant success. Bacon and housemade jalapeño slaw on an all-natural house-ground burger? Locally sourced butternut squash salad with sharp cheddar, apples, tamari almonds, pomegranates, and maple-mustard vinaigrette? I think it must be lunch time.
Author
Jon Butler
Food Waste Liberator
