Top 100: Corner Bakery Cafe No. 27

27. Corner Bakery Café

Dallas, TX / No. of units: 70

What could be more conducive to neighborly conversation than sharing a cup of coffee at a corner café? This past spring, Corner Bakery Café tested a neighborhood initiative and Facebook application that encouraged friends and family to rekindle the art of face-to-face conversation over a free cup of coffee. The concept’s managers and team members also reached out to their communities by attending little league soccer games, parent-teacher nights and city festivals, handing out free travel mugs as a reminder to make time for neighbors. In addition to encouraging community connections, the company in 2010 launched its Get Fresh program and announced the expansion of its Community Garden Grant.