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After a combined 20 years working in other people’s restaurants, Dylan and Heidi Stockman decided they’d had enough. “We were used to scraping by working for other people,” Heidi recalls, “We figured we might as well scrape by working for ourselves.” As avid farmers’ market shoppers, they knew they wanted to sell local, sustainable food, but the cost of opening a restaurant was daunting. They flirted with the idea of a concession truck but that turned out to require nearly as much outlay as a stable, permanent location.

They decided to start with a farmers’ market booth, and signed up for a handful of events last summer. Specializing in organic, grass-fed cheeseburgers and polenta cakes topped with a variety of signature sauces, they refused to compromise on the quality of their ingredients and built up a loyal clientele. They meticulously sourced biodegradable packaging and utensils, and offered discounts to customers bringing their own plates. Their three-year old son, Cypress, spent the day at the markets where they were vending, in the care of a babysitter but close to his parents.

When the market season ended they did a bit of catering and started thinking seriously about their next step. Through a series of fortuitous coincidences, they found themselves ready to act right about the same time that I had decided to close my own takeout restaurant. It was a small space, I’d been there for 4 years, and I was vending at so many farmers’ markets that it had become inconvenient to also operate a retail space.

This past February they took over my lease on the spot I like to call “the cutest building in the city” and Green Go found a permanent home. It’s a tiny brick building–about 400 square feet–that’s close to 100 years old; quite old for Seattle. It’s been a machine shop and a barber shop, and was a chili parlor during the Great Depression. During the past twenty years it’s been occupied by a variety of food businesses, with varying degrees of success. The spot has character and potential, and it’s close to the main streets in its neighborhood but a bit off the beaten path. I think their business will be an excellent fit for the location.

So far they’ve been getting on well with the neighborhood and tweaking their hours, expanding their lunch menu and starting to open some evenings for dinner as well. They cleared away an old walk-in freezer just outside the side door and have begun using that area for patio dining. Having a small child themselves, Dylan and Heidi especially interested in attracting parents of young children looking for a kid-friendly atmosphere, and accessible, healthy, reasonably priced food.

The couple continues to struggle with the challenge of charging affordable prices while sticking to high quality ingredients. I am confident that before long they’ll find a successful balance that involves staying true to their ideals without selling themselves short.