More Hip Than Hippie #251 - SoupCycle

SoupCycle in Portland, OR exemplifies the best features of a green business with a local sensibility.

Since the summer of 2008, SoupCycle has cooked and delivered over 10,000 tasty organic soups, saved 3,000 car-miles by using bicycle delivery and funneled $33,000 to local farmers. Co-owner Jed Lazar dishes with Dori and Val about their recipe for success. Also, the Hipsters welcome two luminaries to Chico this week; Dori's fiance Chris, and Oprah!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Kudos to Lost Coast Brewery for using restraint when creating their Raspberry Brown Ale. Nice fruit flavor without that syrupy sweetness.

Chocolate: Our new Favorite Listener is Megan in Arizona, who swiped samples of Starbucks' latest offering. TCHO chocolates offer delightfully satisfying mouthfeel with subtle flavors.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• iWhat? Apple finally debuted the new iPad tablet. It was obviously named by a panel of clueless men, but we're happy to report that it's a pretty green Apple.
• REMedy. The 1993 hit "Everybody Hurts" has been chosen for Simon Cowell's upcoming charity single to benefit Haiti earthquake relief efforts. Bono & Sir Paul are involved, so it won't suck.

Hip News

• Sportswear, Stereos & Sushi? Target is eliminating all farmed salmon from their seafood offerings nationwide.
• Weight and see. The CEO of Whole Foods has started a program offering bigger discounts to healthier employees. What do you think?

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Can the coins! Organize and contain those parking meter coins with an old prescription pill bottle or film canister. Stow it in your glove compartment and keep the meter maid away!

 

SoupCycle

A couple of business school students came up with a great green idea and made it happen. Jed and Shauna started SoupCycle in Portland, OR in the summer of 2008; since then, they've cooked and delivered over 10,000 tasty organic soups, saved 3,000 car-miles by using bicycle delivery and funneled $33,000 to local farmers. Jed Lazar spills the beans about his successful business (and his New Age porn star name). Souper!

• School. Jed and Shauna met while they were students at Bainbridge Graduate Institute in Washington, which offers an MBA in Sustainable Business.
• Social Media. Follow their SoupCycle exploits on Twitter and Flickr.
• Shazam! That's just one of the many amazing desserts available at Jed's favorite chocolate shop, Pix Patisserie.

Listener E-mails

• Ann in North Carolina (y'all!) needs an eco-friendly dry cleaner for her soon-to-be-worn wedding dress. Hopefully this green cleaner is close by. Congrats!
• Shayna in Idaho found the 12 Greenest Cars of 2010.
• Amy in Idaho gives a shout-out to the new Mary Jane's Farm retail store in nearby Moscow. We agree, the magazine rocks.
• Rob in Kentucky needs a booklight; they should be in stock any day now! He also doesn't want us to turn into CNN or Fox News. We can respect that.
• David in New York sent us a More Hip poem on Facebook. OK, enough sucking up...here's a plug for your friend's book about sustainabiity.

Twitter goes green on #EcoMonday! Follow us on Twitter: GrnDiva, MoreHipDori and JRich9 at your service! Add us to your friends on Facebook and MySpace!

Remember to vote for us at Podcast Alley, and leave a glowing review at iTunes!

More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.