5 New York City Businesses to Support That Are Doing It All

by Celina Chapman

New York City may have been one of the most affected areas by COVID-19, but after months of quarantine, businesses are continuing to fight their own battles. With a second wave looming in the near future and safety regulations becoming more important than ever, it is imperative that New Yorkers support establishments that are doing their part in fighting this virus. For some places, safety looks like using plastic cups and spoons, and putting up barriers in between tables. Most of these tactics have left the Earth covered in trash, but luckily, there are some NYC businesses that protect both the people and the planet! If you’re looking to support local, start with these five places:

For when you want delivery: DeliverZero.

Move over UberEATS and Seamless – there’s a new delivery service in town that doesn’t include those outdated Styrofoam containers and cheap plasticware. From their humble beginnings in Brooklyn, DeliverZero’s first priority has always been providing both a sanitary AND sustainable take-out option. How does it work? They provide restaurants with their own highly durable, 100% BPA free polypropylene (plastic) that are both dishwasher and microwave safe. Each container can be used typically over 1,000 times, but don’t worry – they’re not meant to sit in your already overflowing plastic container drawer. DeliverZero actually asks for their containers back! You can keep containers up to 6 weeks before you’re charged a small fee, but returning them is easy. You can either give them to the delivery person next time you order from them or drop off the containers at any participating restaurants. 

With concerns for reusing containers during the pandemic, founder Adam Farbiarz confirmed that they have always been safe, even before extra regulations were set in place. He stated that the containers are cleaned exactly like the plates and silverware used to serve people who eat in person. Delivery people also never come in contact with the kitchen or bussers, assuring that there is maximum safety for those working in the restaurants as well. 

With New Yorkers caring more and more about our current environmental stat, DeliverZero’s growth has been exponential. Originally mostly in Brooklyn, some restaurants now reach all the way uptown to Washington Heights. Check out some of the newest restaurants joining this eco-delivery wave like: Green Garden Buffet in the East Village, Voila Afrique (an African, Caribbean, Latino fusion restaurant) located in Murray Hill, and Fyah Bun (a Jamaican café) located Midtown East.

For when you need to update your wardrobe: Gizmo Vintage Honey

As a fashionista, if you haven’t seen their Instagram, then you may want to follow them for both entertainment and an array of cute, vintage clothes. Located in Bed-Stuy, Gizmo Vintage Honey specializes in working with local designers to upcycle vintage clothing into works of art. They also include Vintage Honey’s own clothing brand “Lulu Vintage Clothing.”  You can go in person with a mask or DM her if you see anything you like on Instagram for an easy, modern day transaction. 
Your biggest question may be: should I thrift during the pandemic? Thrifting in the first place may sometimes feel unsanitary due to the secondhand nature, but most secondhand clothes are washed and vetted by thrift shops before they’re presented to the public. Vintage Honey guarantees clean, well vetted clothes. If you look through her Instagram, you see that she is constantly masked and always bringing in clothes that she has specifically chosen to be a part of her collection. Though it’s not completely in the $10 Goodwill budget range, this thrift shop is uniqueand engages the Brooklyn community in the joy of refusing fast fashion.

For when you’re looking for a new lunch spot: Le Botaniste 

It can be hard finding a decent lunch spot that both satisfies your cravings as well as gives you a boost for the rest of the day. Well lucky for you, Le Botaniste has four locations in Manhattan and delivery options available to help you mix up your daily indoor routine! This vegetarian food and wine bar not only believes in nourishing the body, but also the planet. They are 99% organically sourced and they are CO2 neutral certified. This means that they completely offset any carbon emissions throughout their entire restaurant process. Their dishes range from rice bowls and salads to sushi and soups. They even have desserts like cookies and pie that won’t make you want to unbuckle your belt when you’re done! If dessert is not your style, you need to treat yourself to a midday drink and try one of Le Botaniste’s wines. They are 100% natural with no sulfates, sugars, or yeast.

As for their safety measures, Le Botaniste still offers both indoor and outdoor seating, with indoors at 25% capacity. Along with requiring you to wear a mask when walking around their space, employees are required to take your temperature and ask you to sign a NYC contact tracing sheet. (This is when you write down your name and contact information just in case the restaurant finds a COVID case and needs to contact you). Employees wear gloves and masks and are asked to fill out daily safety forms. Although only one out of the four outdoor patios have heating (the one on Columbus Ave), they are installing more soon to be able to stay open through the colder months. If you’re choosing to stay in, they provide take-out and delivery options. 

For when you have a sweet tooth: Sol Cacao

Based in the Bronx, the three Maloney brothers are changing the way the world sees chocolate. Sol Cacao is an artisan chocolate manufacturer that focuses on single-origin, bean to bar chocolate, specifically from Madagascar, Ecuador, and Peru. You don’t have to travel all the way to their factory up north to snag a bite of their luxury good. Their bars are found in most Whole Foods on Manhattan and in some specialty shops like NiLu in Harlem and The Chocolate Room in Brooklyn. Just wear a mask if you hope to shop in person, or check out their website and order directly from them online for a touchless, non-contact transaction.

Why is Sol Cacao so different from other chocolates? Well let’s start with the word “single-origin.” This label is thrown around a lot in the sustainability world, but what does it truly mean? Sol Cacao assures an ethical production process from the sourcing of the beans to the packaging and delivery. Some cacao farmers get paid less than a dollar a day, and growing this bean is not an easy task. This company’s goal is to reveal both the multifaceted practices of the chocolate process and the multifaceted flavors that come from the different regions, soils, and farming techniques. All their wrappers come from recycled materials and they even changed the packaging to represent the country each chocolate bar comes from. “Everything [on the package] is native to the country,” Daniel Maloney explained. The Peru and Ecuador wrappers each have birds on them that are popular to each country and Madagascar has the baobab tree. 

Sol Cacao means “to shed a light on cacao.” These brothers want to show people the reality of the chocolate industry, especially to their community in the Bronx. They hope to inspire people to learn about what’s going on in the chocolate industry, and they want to spark new generations of chocolatiers. “Chocolate isn’t just a bar,” Maloney said. Chocolate can be used in so many ways and he hopes that Sol Cacao is only a spark that helps Bronxites possibly see their futures in the chocolate industry too, whether it’s using it for baking or for making other

For when you need to replenish necessities: Earth and Me

Buying zero waste has never been easier in 2020 with Amazon stocking more and more eco-friendly products, but as much as it’s tempting to click “Yes” to that two-day delivery, why not support your local online zero-waste store? Earth and Me is bringing a new twist to shopping consciously by providing an easily accessible online marketplace for zero-waste goods that is both affordable AND sourced from other small businesses. Each product is “carefully selected for their ethical and sustainable commitment to the supply chain.” Founder Kayli Kunkel prioritizes vendors who strive to better their craft as well as work towards their own social justice initiatives. You can check out Earth and Me’s website for the full list of vendors and more statistics on how they support women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and veterans. 

Along with presenting products you can trust, Earth and Me assures safe and waste free delivery options. Kunkel, due to starting her business during the pandemic this past August, has only known and practiced contactless pick-ups where customers buzz into her apartment and pick up their order in the vestibule without the need to worry about human interaction. For nationwide deliveries, products are secured with biodegradable and compostable packing peanuts made from corn starch, and newspaper turned into crinkle paper. It’s also sometimes a cyclical process because Earth and Me transfers boxes and packaging from makers and vendors to packaging products for orders to customers. If you’re local, you may also get a special treat of a bike delivery as Kunkel and her team of helpers try their best to make their transactions as carbon neutral as possible. 

If you’re interested in seeing the products in-person before buying, Earth and Me appears at pop-up shops and is now officially opening a brick and mortar store. For events, you are required to wear a mask, follow protocols, and keep a safe distance away from people. Also, every pop-up Kunkel has been to so far has been outdoors, assuring ample germ-free air. With her new store, she states that she hopes to instill the same safety protocol she’s been doing for pick-ups at her apartment, and maybe even more protocols.