Dandelion Communitea Cafe » Press

American Clay walls featured in We Care

Julie Norris — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:15:39 +0000

A wonderful article appeared in the January Edition of We Care Magazine.

“Going green just got a lot more colorful. For the vegetarian-fare Dandelion Communitea Café in Orlando, it’s a combination of Bluefield, Jasper, Bryce Canyon and Tuscan Gold that now adorn its walls in the form of good old natural American Clay.” Read the Full Article.

Central Florida Future – Restaurants showcase ‘slow food’

Julie Norris — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:57:11 +0000

Excerpt from the article:

Julie Norris, co-proprietor of Dandelion Communitea Cafe near downtown Orlando, said that the local farmers were not only chosen for their proximity. Their independence from the mass markets allows them the freedom to emphasize quality. “It’s so important to know your grower,” Norris said. She said with the overuse of pesticides, environmental impact of big agriculture and the poor treatment of farmworkers, the best way to know that the food is good, clean and fair is to build a relationship.

“I’m all about organic food,” Norris said, “but when it comes to a small grower, they can’t get that certification because it’s expensive. But if I know the person and I know what their growing philosophy is, I call that relationship organic. The reason we have a USDA label is because we’ve lost our connection to who’s growing our food.”

Read the entire article here: Central Florida Future – Restaurants showcase ‘slow food’.

How the World’s Biggest Corporations, From Starbucks to Wal-Mart to Barnes & Noble, Claim to Be ‘Local’

Julie Norris — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:37:06 +0000

HSBC, one of the biggest banks on the planet, has taken to calling itself “the world’s local bank.” Starbucks is un-branding at least three of its Seattle outlets, the first of which just reopened as “15th Avenue Coffee and Tea.” Winn-Dixie, a 500-outlet supermarket chain, recently launched a new ad campaign under the tagline, “Local flavor since 1956.” The International Council of Shopping Centers, a global consortium of mall owners and developers, is pouring millions of dollars into television ads urging people to “Shop Local” — at their nearest mall. Even Wal-Mart is getting in on the act, hanging bright green banners over its produce aisles that simply say, “Local.” Hoping to capitalize on growing public enthusiasm for all things local, some of the world’s biggest corporations are brashly laying claim to the word “local.”

Read More (includes a quote from Julie Norris of the Ourlando movement): How the World’s Biggest Corporations, From Starbucks to Wal-Mart to Barnes & Noble, Claim to Be ‘Local’.

Potluck Piece

Julie Norris — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:40:41 +0000

UCF student, Stefanie Kuncman put together a little voice/video piece on our potlucks. She came to the Ourlando hosted potluck this week. Check it out here or read her article about it here.

Dandy Featured in Playground Magazine

Julie Norris — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:12:22 +0000

www.playground-magazine.com

Ya’ll know we love all things local around here, and Playground magazine is as local as you can get – this regional magazine is a unique gem in our town, chock full of advice on what to do with the little ones, written with sass and full of articles about relevant topics. This edition is green-themed and features articles on Flexitarianism (pg 58), the “Green Block” covering Dandelion & friends (pg 60) and the cover article features three natural mama’s including co-proprietor Julie Norris (Girls Gone Green, pg 33). Pick one up at Dandelion or read it online.