On the 10th of every month, we share a Cheers To 10 Bitter Years, celebrating the New York City accounts and the New York City people that make Hella, Hella as we celebrate 10 years. Today is Earth Day we wanted to take this opportunity to lift up a business that embodies the importance of both community and sustainability.
Meet Willoughby General! Willoughby General is a woman owned general store and community space in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn serving up “wants and needs” and more importantly, servicing the community. Willoughby General hosts sidewalk sales where they donate the proceeds to causes they care about, sweet pop-up stoop performances, community activations, and so much more.
We LOVE Willoughby General, so we asked owner Lauren Cawdrey about being a sustainability-conscious and she had this to say;
“As far as sustainability, I really focus on multi use of ingredients and making small batches to prevent food waste. On the retail side, we sell reusable soap refills and lots of environmentally friendly products. I intentionally seek out brands who do their part in treating the earth with love, care and respect.”
Supporting locally-owned shops like this in your area can make a big difference in the long run. We are in a moment of opportunity to make real change, especially in the spaces where we find Hella Cocktail Co. If you want to hear more from Lauren, check her out on our Instagram reels page talking about Hella, give Willoughby General a follow and definitely pay them a visit if you're ever in Bed-Stuy. Their breakfast sandwiches are worth the train ride from Manhattan.
