Aliso Viejo Green Business—City Perk

Tucked away in Aliso Viejo's live work community is City Perk, one of my favorite places to get coffee when I treat myself—which is rare. But I feel good about doing so because they take their sustainbility seriously and thoughtfully.

I visited City Perk at 21 Vantis to chat with Lane Avery and his partner George Avila to learn more about their business and environmental efforts.

The men said they were attracted to Aliso Viejo because of the live/work advantage of City Walk. Both said they don't drive much—not needing to since they live and work in the same area.  

Walking to work, if you are close enough to do so, is the greenest thing you can do and is one of the main goals of our City's Green Initiative. 

City Perk is working on other ways to go green. Their cold drink containers are biodegradable, including the tops. I never knew this wasn't always the case. And you'd never know the difference! The cups look and feel the same as any other plastic cup you'd find at other coffee shops.

Lane explained how they’d gone back and forth on the coffee cups. If they don’t feel right, work right and pass the customer test, then they don’t get utilized at City Perk.  It’s great if it’s green, but if it doesn’t work and keep customer’s happy, it’s not worth it.  I am always in awe of how meticulous the shop is with each detail and it shows in everything they do.

City Perk is also going green with their energy use.  When available, they purchase Energy Star appliances, which save energy and costs. According to their website, the Energy Star program has “saved enough energy in 2010 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 33 million cars—all while saving nearly $18 billion on their utility bills.” 

The next big step for City Perk is going solar. It’s been their goal for a couple of years now. They just need to find the right system—one that is cost effective and doesn’t do any damage to the roof.  And this is what I’ve noticed about City Perk, it’s about finding the right fit for their customers and their business without sacrificing quality and their sense of purpose.

I love their mochas and my daughter is big fan of their chocolate croissants.  I have also visited for lunch—their Barbecue Chicken Wrap was divine.  

Go green—stay local and spend local.