Dear Neighbors,
My name is Cody Utzman. I am a chef, a business owner, and, perhaps most importantly, a Greenpoint resident.
As I prepared to write this letter, my team and I struggled to find a word that summed up The Standard, our latest venture. With an in-house bakery, top of the line espresso drinks, fresh food, and shelves filled with local products, it’s hard to know where to start. Not to mention our efforts to be socially responsible as an employer and member of the Greenpoint community, and our decision to be eco-friendly. Our discussion highlighted for me the distinctiveness of our approach to business. What we’re offering with The Standard, goes far beyond what’s in the store.
Going green, for us, is about more than just limiting our carbon footprint. No knocks against granola, organic cotton, or natural cleaning products–in fact, you’ll find all of them prominently displayed–but our hope for green business is that it can be less about advocating a particular lifestyle and more about developing sustainable ways of serving our community. As our name suggests, we aspire to set a new standard for business practice, while maintaining high standards for our food, coffee and other products.
Update 1/16/09: The Standard is going to be a small grocery/general store opening mid-February. And they’re looking for local homemade goods to include on their shelves.