Growing and Green on the East Side

Ethel Winslow — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 05:11:53 +0000

Back in the day, you could call the local grocery store and they would put it together, and a kid on a bike would deliver it to your door. Then self-serve supermarkets came on the scene and put the corner grocer out of business, and forced everyone to get in cars to drive to the store for their weekly food purchases. While the vast majority of people shop for food in the store, a few are beginning to discover the joys of “calling it in” and having their groceries delivered to their door again. A few services have popped up over the years, and one, Green BEAN Delivery, has found a big, and growing, niche. They recently moved into a new, larger headquarters on 25th and Emerson, where the new 35,000-square foot building includes 15,000 square feet of office space and 20,000 square feet for warehouse operations. They will have an official ribbon cutting April 10.
The all-capital BEAN stands for Biodynamic, Education, Agriculture, and Nutrition. Not simply a grocery delivery service, Green BEAN sells organic products and sells products from companies who engage in sustainable practices. More like a farmer’s market on wheels with an online ordering system, Green BEAN has carved out a niche in the to-your-door food delivery market. While young, busy families were the first to discover the convenience of the service, they are finding a wider range of customers who find value in high-quality products coming to their doorsteps every week.
Trisha Brand, marketing supervisor and member services supervisor at Green BEAN, said that the company is growing rapidly in Indianapolis, and in the other areas they have established a base in: Ohio, Kentucky and Missouri. Online stores in other areas are different from each other, featuring products and goods from those states. However, the company calls Indianapolis — and the east side in particular — home. She said they are thrilled to move into their new, larger, headquarters. “We just outgrew the old space,” she said of the warehouse off Pendleton Pike the company had been in before. The company, founded in 2007, has been growing at a very healthy pace, offering an online home delivery grocery service that provides a full line of fresh produce and all-natural groceries year-round to its membership base. Currently, they have about 100 employees at headquarters, and 100 in other locations.
Last year, Brand said that the company had $10 million in sales of local produce and artisanal goods alone. “That’s a lot of money going back to small farms and artisan producers,” she said proudly. “We work very closely with our vendors on packaging, production, whatever they need.” They also have about 1,200 grocery items from national sources.
The company’s mission is to make local and sustainable foods convenient, affordable and accessible to communities throughout the Midwest. The company helps support several local food businesses, including their own 60 acre organic farm in Sheridan. Some of the Indiana products they carry are from Moody Meats, Amelia’s Bakery, and Riehle’s Select Gourmet Popcorn.
Subscribers can buy a bin of food (enough for two) for as little as $35 a week (delivery is free with a minimum $35 order). They order online or using a toll-free number, and the bins are delivered to their door (or office) on a particular day. “When you think about all the time you spend going to the grocery store, driving, finding a parking place, shopping, and leaving, this is a really a convenient way to get groceries,” said Brand. She admits that prices might be higher than in the supermarket, but are in line for organic goods. Subscribers can cancel deliveries at any time, going on a week-to-week basis.
Green BEAN also gives back to the community in significant ways. They partner with local food banks, setting aside 550,000 pounds of fresh produce since 2007 to donate to Second Helpings and Gleaners. They also work with local businesses and community organizations to promote organic gardens and sustainable practices.
“We’re really excited about the good things happening here,” Brand said.
For more information about the company and to subscribe, visit GreenBEANdelivery.com.

East Side Hot Dogs!

Ethel Winslow — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 06:10:30 +0000

Travelers passing by 16th and Emerson on nice days may wonder why there is a line waiting at a hot dog cart in the Family Dollar parking lot. It’s because Abacuc Garcia, owner and operator of Garcia’s Hot Dogs, probably has the best hot dogs in Indianapolis, and he’s one of the nicest human beings you’d ever want to meet.
Mr. Garcia has been selling his bacon-wrapped hot dogs on the busy corner for four years. He’s out there on most sunny days, grilling hot dogs and shaking hands with every customer. “I’m not here if it is raining or snowing or windy. That gets to be too hard,” he said. He was a hot dog vendor in California for 26 years before moving to Indianapolis.
He saw an opportunity on the busy corner, took a chance, and set up shop. Now, up to a hundred people a day come by to buy a hot dog (or ten) from him. He’s a one-man-band, grilling, talking, and greeting everyone like they are old friends. It isn’t unusual to see a cop or EMT standing in line next to a construction worker and a nicely-dressed couple, and a family waiting patiently for their dogs. And everyone comes back. Again and again and again. He has a five-star listing on Yelp! (one of the few hot dog stands with a review at all) for cryin’ out loud!
Neighbors on the east side look out for Mr. Garcia, who has become a fixture on the corner. When he was robbed last year, his many fans got on social media to drum up support for him to compensate for his losses.
With a wife, three grown children and a two-year-old, Mr. Garcia works hard to support his family. With many choices of fresh toppings and combinations — chili, chili cheese, Chicago, Dorito dogs, mango dogs (!) to name just a few— at about $4 a dog, Garcia’s is probably the best deal in town. He’s very generous with toppings, asking you if you want more. He also has brats and Italian sausage, drinks and chips.
Keep your eye peeled for the red and white umbrella cart and stop by to smell the hot dogs. And maybe buy a few.

Weekly View » east side Indianapolis

Growing and Green on the East Side

East Side Hot Dogs!