Erica Thompson

News Correspondent

Those overwhelmed by the massive amounts of hipster bars and restaurants on Cambridge’s Massachusetts Avenue., can go to a place that not only satisfies the hipster vibe, but can also do some good for the planet–and your wallet.

But this restaurant isn’t your typical swank eatery. Rafiki Bistro follows a “go-green” ideology to be environmentally aware and provide its customers with an exceptional all-natural dining experience, according to their website. The bistro serves organic breakfast, lunch and dinner in addition to a cafe menu with lose-leaf teas, smoothies, baked goods, soups and salads.

The food isn’t the only thing that’s straight from the ground.

“We’re accustomed to finding organic or bio-dynamic beers today, but spirits are also finding a place in organic offerings. Rafiki offers organic liquors to mix into their drinks, such as their cucumber cooler, co-owner Dan Goldstein said.

The interior also posses an organic vibe. There’s refurbished second-hand furniture, couch cushions from old restaurants and paint made with organic compounds.

“We tried to stick with the theme as best we could,” Goldstein said.

Many of the consumers are local residents, like students, faculty members and families, said Goldstein. “But then you have the demographic reaching out to people who are choosing to support being on the right side of an issue,” he said.

Goldstein and his business partner Jack Kutner started the Rafiki Bistro after creating the Clear Conscious Café on Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square.

“The platform is similar,” said Goldstein. “It’s about having a stake in a dramatic shift in the word. We want to provide good, healthy food.”

The inspiration for the Bistro comes from the ideology of environmentalism and responsibility, but the name possesses different ties. Goldstein said that his trips to Tanzania and Kenya with Kutner played an important part when choosing a name for the restaurant.

“We weren’t sure if we would ever see these animals in their natural habitat again,” Goldstein said. “In Tanzania they greet you by saying ‘Jambo Rafiki,’ which means, ‘Hello friend.’ So even though there’s no elements that directly relate to African culture, it was a milestone in our lives and we thought it was cool to integrate that into the restaurant.”

But the best part of it all is that healthy food can actually be found at a reasonable price, such as the spicy fried chicken wings for $8 or margharita pizza for $10.

“Most restaurants want to provide a product that’s more expensive so they will make a profit. But what we want is to do the right thing. We want to insure that what we’re providing is fairly priced and manage ourselves to a margin that is modest and reasonable,”said Goldstein.

Goldstein said he has no plans of stopping his eco-friendly business movement. Food, he said, is his way of inviting people to participate in bettering the world in which we live. He and his company have regular business meetings about how to proactively participate environmentally and globally.

“At the end of the day, mission-based companies have to be focused on doing what they do well. The food has to taste good and the service has to be superb. If you do that, you can earn the privilege to talk to people about what it is your doing and why you’re doing that. And that’s the most important thing for me.”