Everyone is welcome at our Table

Almost exactly one year ago Coffee By Design became a Certified B Corp. This was a massive milestone for our company. Becoming a B Corp reaffirmed our commitment to how we do business, which has always been to consider how decisions impact everything around us. Also it placed us in the growing community of 2,100+ corporations in 50 countries and 130 industries, working together toward one unifying goal: to redefine success in business. B Corp performance standards are comprehensive, transparent and verified. Unlike traditional corporations, B Corps are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on all their stakeholders, including staff, suppliers, community, consumers, and the environment. To get there, we were audited by B Lab, the non-profit dedicated to the process of B Corp certification. The application process involved a review of our best practices, including our coffee buying relationships, hiring, staff training, retail and roastery operations, shipping, packaging, community support and more. Today, twelve months later, it is with great pride that we share that Mary Allen and Alan, Coffee By Design founders and owners, were honored as Spurwink Services’ 2017 Humanitarian Award. This honor highlights another way in which CBD works to connect with the community. They were selected because of their commitment to the Spurwink mission – going the distance for those in need due to behavioral health challenges, developmental disabilities, and trauma. At the 2017 award ceremony, Sprurwink commented that the stigma surrounding mental illness is prevalent and they highlighted the safe and secure environment that Coffee By Design has worked very hard to create. Shortly after opening in 1994, the CBD staff worked with DHHS to better understand how to manage the mental health issues of customers when issues arose. The training further hit home when they learned that some CBD employees were also struggling. Today, owner Mary Allen also shares stories of her family’s struggles with mental illness. The B Corp ethos for inclusiveness is perfectly captured in the long held belief of Mary Allen and Alan that “Everyone is welcome at our table.” People are at the heart of Coffee By Design. We should all find comfort in the knowledge that we are not alone; each of us deserves to be loved and we should live each and every day as best we can, working to ensure that everyone truly is welcome at our table.