Shopping Green  

What green businesses in Dallas – Fort Worth are the best?   The readers of GSDFW have chosen to nominate businesses in five catetories.  The readers’ choice nominations for Memnosyne Institute's Best Green Business are:

• Green Food Store   The Sunflower Shoppe,  Sprouts Farmers Market, Urban Acres, Dallas Farmers Market, The Green Spot Market and Fuels
• Green Products Retail Store (physical location)   Green Lotus Spa & Retreat , Flora the Gift Store at BRIT,  Green Living - Design District, The Greener Good, Green Pet Store
• Green Restaurant - Liberty Burgers, Snappy Salads, Potager Café, The Spiral Diner, Good Karma Kitchen, Texas Spice at the Dallas Omni , Good2go Tacos
• Organic Gardening Center -  Rohde's Nursery and Garden Center, Garden Variety Organics, Weston Gardens in Bloom, Redenta's, Elizabeth Anna’s Urban Farm and Garden Market
• Resale Clothing Store  - Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth, Pandemonium Ltd., Zola' Everyday Vintage, Clothes Circuit, Bess & Evie's Vintage, Plato's Closet

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http://greensourcedfw.org/green-source-dfw-best-green-business-readers-choice-awards

Descriptions of Nominees chosen by the readers of Green Source DFW

Green Food Store

The Sunflower Shoppe    www.sunflowershoppe.com  The Sunflower Shoppe opened in 1970 and has since grown into a full-scale green grocery offering healthy and organic food, vitamins and cosmetics with two locations in Fort Worth and Colleyville. The family-owned business was one of the first markets in Fort Worth to offer organic whole foods in Fort Worth.

Sprouts Farmers Market  (multiple locations)  http://www.sprouts.com   I LOVE this Sprouts! (Marsh Lane)  I shop here weekly for all of my fresh veggies and fruits, and sometimes add in some of their great chicken sausage.    This store is just the right size, and they have such great prices on produce when compared to some of the other grocery stores.  The quality of the produce is excellent as well. 

Urban Acres  http://urbanacres.wordpress.com/ I adore this place!! I went there by accident when I tried to buy a butternut squash at the store and they were out.  MP suggested I swing by UA and get one there.  When I arrived I was totally wow'ed!  The squash were huge and the store had an abundance of seasonal veggies.

Dallas Farmers Market     www.dallasfarmersmarket.org/   That being said, the Farmers Market is a good place to go for produce or to people watch. Stroll through the stalls and check out the local produce. Some of the farmers do come from outside the state, but others come from Corsicana, Athens, and Tyler. Some days have more vendors than others.

The Green Spot Market and Fuels  http://greenspotmarket.com/    This is truly a unique green venue in DFW - a green convenience store and alternative fuel station. Inside, the store features a variety of healthy and organic snacks, beverages and convenience items. Outside, biodiesel and an electric car charging station is offered in addition to unleaded gas. The location also hosts a local farmers market twice a month.

Green Product Retail Store

Green Lotus Spa & Retreat  http://www.thegreenlotusspa.com/    They are one of the greenest businesses I know! They are powered by a wind turbine. They are paperless. They plant a tree for every client that comes in. They have one of those electric car charging stations outside. and they hold "Green Education" classes. And all products used and sold are 100% Natural and Organic... from skin care to jewelry to candles & salt lamps!

Flora the Gift Store at BRIT (Botanical Research Institute of Texas)  http://www.brit.org/shop  Flora, the gift shop at BRIT, has tried to focus their gift assortment around things that are botanical in reality or by theme, along with products that are of the earth and made from sustainable materials.  Fair trade product such as: Colorful and unique jewelry made in Uganda from recycled paper, which allows the women in the village to provide for their families.

Green Living - Design District   http://www.green-living.com/   Green Living Design District offers a wide selection of eco-friendly paint, flooring and housewares not offered in traditional home improvement stores. Some of its many unique offerings include eco-friendly latex mattresses, bedding and pillows.

The Greener Good  http://thegreenergood.com/   The Greener Good is a green beacon in the area as one of the first stores in Tarrant County to promote the eco-conscious lifestyle. The green retail outlet features high quality housewares, clothing, children's accessories and home improvement products that have been well-researched in terms of their environmental footprint. The owner and staff are friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all things green.

Green Pet Store   http://www.greenpetdallas.com/      Owner  Leslie McKay says “There were many stores around DFW that sold all-natural food, some eco-friendly supplies, but no one store that sold only all-natural, eco-friendly supplies. At Green Pet, you know that anything you pick up is good for your dog or cat. ...

Green Restaurant

Roots Coffeehouse  http://rootscoffeehouse.com/   This friendly coffeehouse and cafe founded by a North Richland Hills couple sells delicious free trade and organic coffees and teas and uses fresh local ingredients for its food menu items. The business promotes environmentally friendly practices such as offering customers washable ceramic cups instead of disposable cups.

Liberty Burgers       http://givemelibertyburger.com/   Liberty Burger uses tree-free compostable napkins and packaging as well as re-usable bags for take-out meals. We recycle all packaging and donate empty bottles to local home brewers and artists. Our building materials, cleaning products and equipment are carefully chosen with the environment in mind. We are proud to be doing our part as a socially and environmentally responsible restaurant.

Snappy Salads      http://www.snappysalads.com/       "Can you imagine craving a salad?!? Well this one you will! The quality of the produce is amazing and the price really can't be beat either. I love Snappy Salads and constantly recommend it to my friends and family."" – Amanda
"I love the freshness and variety of products. The people are friendly and the process is usually very fast - even with a long line." - Kay

Potager Café  http://www.potagercafe.com       Potager Cafe in Arlington offers a unique dining venue near the UTA campus. Owner and chef Cynthia Chippindale serves delicious and healthy slow-cooked food using only fresh organic produce and products from local farmers and ranchers.

The Spiral Diner    http://www.spiraldiner.com/           In 2002, Spiral Diner opened as the first vegan restaurant in Fort Worth and has since brought its all-vegan dining to Dallas. In
addition, the restaurant was named the Best Vegetarian Restaurant in America by VegNews.

Good Karma Kitchen  http://www.thegoodkarmakitchen.com/   A healthy gluten-free-vegetarian-gourmet food truck is owned by Megan Topham and Christina MacMicken.  In 2010, Topham discovered that she was gluten intolerant and had difficulty finding tasty gluten-free products and recipes.  In 2009, she teamed up with Executive Chef Christina MacMicken, to create healthy gluten-free-vegetarian-gourmet recipes, and The Good Karma Kitchen was born. 

Texas Spice at the Dallas Omni           http://tinyurl.com/8mh8k4m   A Green Restaurant Association Two Star rated restaurant .  It captures the true flavor of Texas with an emphasis on local ingredients and southern style offering a twist on hometown classics. The innovative farm-to-market concept incorporates using the freshest ingredients to create great food and a casual dining experience. 

Good2go Tacos   http://good2gotaco.com   I am a huge foodie. I especially love tacos and have been trying a lot of taco joints. I have yet to concur all of them but recently out of a hand full this place is the best. Really creative combinations and not just your average bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast taco. I had the Paris, TX with hanger steak, potatoes, cheese, spinach, egg and hollandaise.

Organic Gardening Center

Rohde's Nursery and Garden Center   http://www.beorganic.com/   Rohde's Nursery and Nature Store was one of the first nurseries in the Dallas area to carry only organic fertilizers and employ pest control using beneficial insects, microorganisms and bacteria products. As a result, our knowledge in the use of organic gardening techniques has over ten years of practical experienc

Garden Variety Organics   http://stores.gardenvarietyorganics.com/   "Garden Variety Organics offers about everything that is needed for keeping a beautiful landscape or productive garden without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.  And unlike most garden stores that offer both conventional and organic products and treat organic buyers like some sort of rich niche that can afford huge mark-ups, Garden Variety Organics offers its organic products at the lowest price possible so that everyone can make the right choice.

Weston Gardens in Bloom  http://www.westongardens.com/           Weston Gardens, opened in 1984, was one of the first plant nursery’s in the Metroplex to promote native and heat tolerant plants. Today, the nursery showcases an outstanding variety of native and drought-tolerant plants and wildflower seeds, along with a well-stocked retail shop offering gardening gifts, including Texas made jams and jellies. In addition, the Westons turned their 17-acre property across the street into a series of landscaped demonstration gardens where visitors can see native plants thriving.

Redenta's   http://www.redentas.com/   Redenta's Garden was started in 1992 as a garden shop providing a quality shopping experience.The mission of the shops is to provide a wide and unique assortment of plants, especially native and well-adapted plants. Redenta's is 100% organic, offering soil amendments and organic solutions to common garden problems.

Elizabeth Anna’s Urban Farm and Garden Market  http://www.elizabethanna.net/   "In addition to selling and promoting native plants and organicgardening products, Elizabeth Anna’s in Fort Worth offers classes in urban agriculture for children and adults  -- everything from permaculture design to bee keeping. The center also hosts a weekly farmers market with local and organic produce and its annual Bounty Barter Fair.
"

Resale Clothing Store

Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth, Inc.          http://www.goodwillfortworth.org/   One of Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth’s primary initiatives is to recycle and reuse. With the recent trend and challenge to live a “green” lifestyle, resale stores, including Goodwill, have experienced a sharp increase in the number of customers looking for unbeatable deals on fashionable items. Goodwill promotes recycling year-round by providing people with an outlet to donate gently used belongings, as well as stores where customers can purchase quality items at discounted prices.

Pandemonium Ltd.   http://www.pandemoniumltd.com /   You'd have to be emeralds to coconuts to not shop at Pandemonium!*  Pandemonium is a great little vintage clothing store, and its name is true to the atmosphere inside: Pandemonium!  The friendly owner, Leslie, has an uncanny mental catalogue of everything in the store, so if you are looking for something in particular you should ask.

Zola's Everyday Vintage  http://www.zolasvintage.com/       "This place is a little gem in the Bishop Arts District of Oak Cliff. Very well run and even more well-organized, this store boasts some fine vintage clothing selections, from handmade garments to designer frocks by Diane Von Furstenberg and Emilio Pucci.

Clothes Circuit      http://www.clothescircuit.com/   Tucked away on Sherry Lane in Park Cities, this treasure trove of upscale resale fashion has been dressing women of all ages for nearly three decades.  More than 500 items are introduced daily — all bearing labels from the world’s top designers and upscale retailers.

Bess & Evie's Vintage  http://www.bessandevies.com/         I love vintage clothing.  And Fort Worth has lacked a decent vintage store for the last decade so Bess & Evie's is a welcome addition to Foch Street!  I've yet to manage walking in and not finding something that must go live at my house. 

Plato's Closet (Lake Highlands location)          http://www.platosclosetdallas.com/  We're not your typical secondhand clothing store. The gently used clothing and accessories that we buy are: top-name brands, cool, hip, trendy, clean and in good condition.

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