Since 2014, Public Greens has been giving back to the community through its one of a kind restaurant model. Started by the Patachou Foundation, their mission is to “feed wholesome meals to food-insecure school children in our community and teach them to create healthy habits.”
100% of their restaurant profits go to The Patachou Foundation, which in turn serves children prepackaged breakfast and lunch meals to children in schools who fall below the poverty line.
Public Greens employs a local farmer to tend to the gardens and they grow their own produce to be used in their restaurant kitchens. The garden stretches for several blocks through Indianapolis’ Broad Ripple Village and it’s fully planted with crops and edible flowers.
They also have bees on the property near the Monon Trail.
The menu changes monthly, depending on what’s in season and what’s not grown on the property is sourced from other local farmers with special attention paid to humanely raised proteins and house made desserts.
Martha Hoover, owner of The Patachou Foundation said the inspiration behind Public Greens was to do more than just making a donation somewhere. “We felt that it was time to stop asking the same questions in the community – it was time to make a real difference by doing, rather than just writing a check.”
I ate at the Broad Ripple location and had a delicious lunch of Israeli couscous with roasted cauliflower and a chili lime brisket taco.
Since the original location opened in Broad Ripple, two other cafeterias have opened in the Indianapolis area. The second opened last spring at the Fashion Mall and a third location this January in the downtown Cummins Inc.