Hello Deli! Sustainable, Local and Downright Delicious

Danny Shwartzman’s concept was simple: to serve organic, locally-grown, seasonal food in an informal setting, at affordable prices. Think Chez Panisse meets the 1950s diner. The catch? The 26-year-old wanted to launch his business in Minneapolis, known better for crushing winters than an inviting growing season.

Undaunted, Schwartzman launched the Common Roots Café in July of 2007. Everything from the sunflower seed husk tabletops to the organic local food, to the worker’s wages, is sustainable.

And surprisingly, Schwartzman credits part of his success to Minneapolis:

“I don’t know how many cities I could pull this off in.”

What he’s “pulled off” is a full-menu bakery and cafe where everything is made from scratch and where over 80 percent of the food and beverages purchased in 2007 was local and/or organic. Produce comes from local farmers, and nearly all dairy and grain products are produced nearby. The meat is local and either free-range or grass fed.

When local products are not available, Schwartzman buys from Co-Op Partners, an organic food distributor.

“We don’t get any deliveries from a mainline distributor,” says Schwartzman. “Nothing from U.S. Foods or Sysco or anything like that.”

Common Roots’ menu changes weekly, depending not only on local availability, but also on what farmers need to sell. When growers had a glut of tomatoes in 2007, Common Roots’ kitchen staff got together and thought up tomato recipes—preventing waste and ensuring that farmers sold their excess produce.

“If you ask the right questions and you start to build relationships with the farmers, you find out about these things. And you give them a market for something they might not be able to move otherwise,” says Schwartzman.

Last year, Common Roots also bought up unwanted radishes as well as a surplus of bruised apples, from which cooks made applesauce as a side for sandwiches.

When winter rolls in, Common Roots chefs turn more heavily to local meats, grains and dairy – including traditionally harvested wild rice from White Earth Indian Reservation in the northern part of the state, and blue cheese, aged in Fairbault, Minnesota’s famous cheese caves.

It’s a recipe for success. Pair these foods with hydroponic lettuce and tomatoes, add in potatoes and carrots (which keep for a couple of months), and voila: you’ve got a delicious menu of local food, right in the middle of a Minnesota winter, says Schwartzman.

Common Roots also serves locally-brewed beer, local or fair trade wine, and fair trade coffee, which is purchased from Minneapolis’ Peace Coffee and delivered to the café by bicycle.

Schwartzman says his restaurant’s concept is made possible because of the city’s location, right in the middle of farm country. More than half of Minnesota’s land area is farmed, and many of the city’s residents grew up on or near farms.

“There are a lot of people here who’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how to support local farmers and how to get local food into peoples’ mouths,” says Schwartzman.

Minneapolis is also home to a large, vibrant network of neighborhood co-op grocery stores and local and organic farmers. The city has more than 60 community gardens. Schwartzman says The Wedge Co-Op, right down the street from Common Roots Café, is the largest in the country.

And there’s more green at Common Roots than just the vegetables. Schwartzman took particular care in selecting building materials and pays the same attention to daily operations. The flooring, for example, is made of wood salvaged from a barn in western Minnesota; countertops are made of recycled cardboard. The restaurant produces very little landfill trash; last year, it composted 32,000 pounds of waste. Human resources are equally important: employees are paid living wages (before tips), offered health insurance benefits, and receive paid vacations.

In addition, non-profit organizations are invited to use the café’s meeting room free of charge.

Schwartzman says Common Roots commitment to sustainability and its constantly changing menu helps maintain a steady flow of repeat customers from bankers to brick layers.

“Creativity is part of what brings our customers back,” he says.

Of course, they might also be motivated by the hope that August 2008’s brunch menu will be making a comeback: Garden of Eagan’s sweet corn pancakes served with blueberries, peaches, and whipped cream; and tofu frittata with local zucchini, peppers, riverbend onions and cherry tomatoes served with local greens, fresh fruit, and yellow tomato coulis.

Related Links:

1) http://www.commonrootscafe.com

2) http://www.sustainlane.com/reviews/common-roots-cafe/LTY2AF2M4YN23RUSCOOO2RSLR98X

Photo Caption: Diners relax in Common Roots Café’s outdoor garden seating. (Photo Courtesy of Common Roots Café)