The Ethics of Our Business

I've put in a lot of time during the past week pondering the ethics of this cafe.  Of course I can't stop there because this cafe is fueled by those working it, myself included.  The ethics of business hits my heartstrings AND my logical brain, it's somewhat of a combination of the two.  That being said, the ethics of this shop are my own, Kelly's, Loren's, Davey's AND our guests.  I'd like to share some of the general guidelines that we all function within as members of the Java Dock Cafe Community.

Preserve, reuse, re-purpose, recycle.  Whichever word you'd like to attach is fine by me, but one our priorities is to minimize our "carbon footprint."  I  know that the shop's garbage production is nominal in contrast to what it could be.  We compost all our coffee grounds (see the earlier post about Farmer Jon who collects the grounds), and all kitchen scraps.  This is a large portion of our waste going right back to the earth and turning back into earth!  Hooray for compost.  Other preservation strategies we utilize are recycling all plastic, metal, and cardboard and reusing when appropriate.  So, that's that.  We hope that you too use sustainable practices in your home. 

Kindness and respect are another component to our ethics.  I have a strong desire for all to feel comfortable and accepted when visiting our shop.  It's a space to share time, coffee, bakery, conversation, ideas, etc.  It's so very important for us to enjoy our time and our comfort level is the foundation for enjoyment (at least for me it is).  If there's ever anything we might do to better equip your comfort, please gently let the barista know. 

It's also important for myself and the other baristas to be respected and treated with kindness.  Here it is again, "we're all in this together" and that means we all deserve respect, kindness and empathy regardless of what side of the counter you're on, what sports team you like, where you work, etc.  This being said, our "work" environment is your "play", but we try to view it as both for ourselves.  We wanna enjoy our time wherever we go and encourage you to do the same.  So, be nice to all and we'reall  good!

So, there it is.  In a nutshell our business ethics are reusing or using what you have, being respectful to the space and those in it.  Easy, right? 

Take Good Care.  Drink Good Coffee.  Love.