2023 SBN Sustainable Business of the Year Awards

Fruit Fair

Local Grocery Store

Fruit Fair Supermarket (established in 1936) is the oldest grocery store serving both Chicopee and Springfield. It is in an Environmental Justice (EJ) neighborhood. The independent grocery store and urban farm is in Chicopee Center and is located yards away from a MassDevelopment Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) district, which is a Gateway City that is in dire need of economic revitalization. Fruit Fair serves mainly lower income people of color and the elderly, who live under the poverty line, including the owners who are a first- generation immigrant, woman of color and a disabled man.

Fruit Fair’s mission is all about offering fresh, high-quality foods to their community and aims to eliminate food insecurity in the area and surrounding underserved communities. Sam and Jared and their team aim to provide the easiest and most affordable access to fresh foods, while sourcing products and produce locally. 

 Fruit Fair buys from over 100 local and micro farms, bakeries, wholesalers, brewers etc and they are building greenhouses on the top of our roof to grow fresh greens and vegetables year-round. Fruit Fair is also switching from refrigeration to low gwp cases to help the planet.  They also make 200 grocery boxes every week for patients with diabetes and hypertension because (like SBN) believe food is medicine.

 Fruit Fair embraces SBN’s mission of Healthy Local Food for All!

Cambridge Savings Bank

Local Bank

Cambridge Savings Bank (CSB) is a community-centered mutual savings bank that has long been a leader in supporting the communities they serve.  During a time when many local banks have been sold to bigger national or regional banks, CSB has grown and thrived!  One of the main reasons for their success is their mission and core values that include giving back to the towns & cities they serve.  CSB actively supports the individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations that help to define the character of each community they serve.  For example, for many years CSB has been a major financial partner with Cambridge Local First and in 2023 CSB created a fund with SBN to provide specific financial aid and technical assistance for Black-owned businesses.  

In 2003, CSB started the Cambridge Savings Bank Charitable Foundation that was organized to enrich the lives of our neighbors and has been awarded over $12.5 million in grants. Since 2011, their employees have volunteered over 25,000 hours in time to local non-profit organizations.

CSB’s Small Business Financial Education Program provides participants with information on best practices related to marketing, cash flow, credit, available financing options, and retirement. Upon completion of this program, participants are matched up with a senior level, experienced business banker who will help guide graduates through the complexities of owning a business. More recently, the Bank launched the Business Hub, an online resource center designed to provide small business owners with a comprehensive range of tools, resources, and product information to support their journey, no matter what stage they are at.

Outside of their commitment to their customer’s financial well-being, they are also invested in the greater good of environmental sustainability. Their energy efficient buildings use up to one-third less energy than buildings of similar size and construction. Since 2001, CSB has reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 14-million pounds—the equivalent to taking almost 1,200 cars off the road or planting 1,478 acres of forest. Their operations center in Waltham, MA is certified LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council, and WELL Platinum by the International Well Building Institute, the first in New England to receive both certifications.

For all these reasons and more, SBN is thrilled to partner with Cambridge Savings Bank and to honor them for this prestigious award.  

Comfort Kitchen

Local Restaurant

Nestled in Upham's Corner Dorchester, Comfort Kitchen offers a cozy and casual cafe counter service during the day and transforms into an intimate and lively dinner experience at night with a full bar. Comfort Kitchen's food is a celebration of the ingredients and flavors of the African diaspora connected from Asia to the Americas — global comfort food.

Their three Cs are Community building, Collaboration, Cross-cultural understanding. The restaurant's opening was delayed two years and their values guided them to make meaningful action in uncertain times including fundraising to support local causes and collaborating with other restaurants and community organizations. Today, our 3C’s are evident in how we compensate and support our staff, the history lesson our menu takes our guests on, and the warm and casual environment that we foster for all our guests. We are a Black-owned, immigrant-owned, and woman-owned business.

Congratulations to Comfort Kitchen on winning this award and winning the Boston Globe restaurant of the Year Award. To read more about the Boston Globe Awards.

Sunbug Solar

Green Energy Business

Sunbug Solar has been in business for nearly fifteen years, helping a wide range of customers explore and deploy solar for their homes and businesses. Sunbug has always taken an educational approach, first and foremost helping customers understand the importance and the value of solar energy — regardless of who the eventual installer might be. The company takes the customer experience very seriously; deploying solar can be a complicated journey, and Sunbug has sought to be an able guide, helping its clients understand the different phases of the project, and working closely with them to resolve issues when they arise.

Sunbug has also played a role in helping to shape the policy landscape for solar as well. Nick d’Arbeloff, both as Sunbug’s VP of Commercial Business and as vice president of SEBANE, has worked with legislators and administration officials over the years to drive progressive solar policy and to help shape key solar legislation. 

Recently, SunBug was acquired by Revision Energy, a much larger organization with a strong presence in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. For many years, the two companies—both members of the Amicus Solar Cooperative—referred to each other as “sister companies,” often seeking the other’s advice and guidance on solar issues. They are both B Corps: mission-driven organizations who share very similar values. Through the acquisition, Revision gains a much larger presence in the Commonwealth, while Sunbug becomes part of a very strong organization with substantial resources to help expand that presence. Together, the combined entity has installed over 18,000 solar systems, and is the largest employee-owned solar company in the United States.

Frugal Bookstore

Local Bookstore

Frugal bookstore’s motto, “changing lives one book at a time” stands strong as their belief and commitment to promote literacy among the community by offering low prices for the books. This bookstore is in the heart of Nubian Square, and it is the only Black-owned bookstore in Boston. The Frugal team strongly believes that everyone should get access to knowledge; and if they carry books then they are offering the community the chance to buy and access the plethora of knowledge available. 

The bookstore staff feels that writing and reading are important for people of all ages and backgrounds. Since 2008, Leonard Egerton and Clarrissa Cropper have been the store's owners. When Egerton's old boss ran the furniture store, it was only a little stand with Black-written books in the corner. However, the husband-and-wife team bought the store separately and have been running it as an independent bookstore ever since. 

Frugal Bookstore's assortment of books by authors from diverse backgrounds welcomes customers as soon as they enter the store. Books with covers that feature a wide variety of youngsters of color are stacked on shelves in the children's section to the right of the entry. A little table and several seats allow kids to read in the center of the kids' area. You can only find books written by and for Black people at this store in Boston. They have a huge range of different communities, organizations, and groups as well.  

The Frugal Bookstore now hosts a variety of neighborhood gatherings. Book readings and poetry slams are regularly held at the bookstore to promote connections between Black writers, their tales, and community members. Additionally, Frugal Bookstore offers writers, both local and foreign, the chance to sell their books through book-signing events. 

The Frugal Bookstore staff is passionate about highlighting the importance of social connection. The proprietors prioritize the community in their endeavors to build ties with their patrons. Selling books is not the only thing the Frugal Bookstore does. It is about the things they hold, the individuals they showcase, and the narratives they tell. Customers of the bookstore can take advantage of numerous discounts in addition to a rewards program. 

Wild Robins Farm

Local Farm

Wild Robin's Farm was founded in the quest to answer one question, "Where does this meat come from?" Laura began her journey as a curiosity about meat origin and its welfare. The farm focuses on knowing the farmer and ensuring that the animals have a happy life. After years of planning and working in other industries, they now raise pork, chicken, turkey, and hens for eggs.

Established in 2019, Wild Robins Farm is a first-generation family farm that raises healthy, happy animals just 20 miles west of Boston. They use pasture-based systems for poultry, ensuring a comfortable driving experience, with some animals on lease sites nearby. 

Wild Robins Farm treats animals with compassion and care from birth until they reach your table, ensuring they are happy, well-fed, and fed a clean diet.