Conscious Choice: The “Art” of a Green Business

May 2008 | On Our Radar

The “Art” of a Green Business

Every great work of art deserves a great frame and The Wild Tree Café provides that frame for an entire community. The café, located at 1100 Davis St., Evanston, IL, is in the center of a growing Green District. Jaqi Boyer opened the café in 2006 with a concept for a homegrown coffee shop that extends beyond traditional coffee, sandwiches and cookies. The establishment deals in organic foods and sustainable catering but is not set up primarily as a food business. Boyer views her café as a community gathering space, a foundation and an inspiration for the sustainability movement.

“I think there’s a certain type of place that brings in people who are dynamic and participate in culture,” said Boyer. “This isn’t a passive place. I think people who are just looking for a quick, anonymous latte aren’t going to hang out here.”

The café is currently featuring the sustainable artwork of Brazilian artist, Ivone Rigobello, who creates wall tapestries composed of recycled coffee bags. Using a screen-printing technique, the tapestries boast images of indigenous symbols such as canoes and vegetation. The exhibit showcases Rigobello’s work for the first time in the U.S. and will be on display until June before the café switches gears to hold their biannual Local Creativity Fair on May 31 and June 1.

The fair is Boyer’s way to support local artists by providing them with a free space for the weekend where they can sell their work. The café takes no commission, and artists have a chance to network. All she asks of participants is their help in promoting the event.

“So it’s a trade,” she stated. “That really pushes forward the mission of supporting local creativity.”

Boyer’s intention was to create a place of inspiration. She adopted the triple bottom-line philosophy that focuses on people, profit and planet while describing her business as a “hybrid” of for-profit and non-profit. She measures the café’s success in terms of community connections, the well being of her staff and financial achievements.

“I think, for running a business, it takes a lot of ability to nurture small details, but at the same time, look at the big picture,” she said.

The first-time business owner emphasizes her commitment to a conscious lifestyle by offering a menu consisting of organic and fair-trade products. The business also runs Evanston’s only locally-owned and operated organic co-op, currently supplying goods to over 700 Evanston residents. Boyer is also co-founder of Food From The Heart, a program that provides healthy meals and nutritional supplements to low-income Chicago-area women who are undergoing cancer treatment. Her desire to support the community includes supporting artists, other small businesses and their partner farm, Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza, in Brazil.

To see a timeless piece of art, go to a museum, but to see a timely piece of art, visit The Wild Tree Café. For more information on the café, their partners and the fair, visit wildtreecafe.com.

— Shama Dardai

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