GoJavaGrocery rebrands as TheGoodGrocer.ca

GoJavaGrocery, a Toronto-based home grocery delivery service, has a new name and a new mission.

The service, launched by office coffee and snack provider GoJava, has rebranded as TheGoodGrocer.ca, and is committing to planting one tree and donating one meal for every order it receives. The company says the tree planting will make every delivery carbon negative, while the meal donations will help feed people in need during this difficult time.

GoJava, which launched in 2015, primarily focused on offices and still has those services. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the company pivoted to home grocery delivery. “In March and April, we saw a huge demand for grocery delivery, at the same time that our business came to a standstill,” says Eugene Ace, co-founder and CEO of GoJava. “We decided to jump in and get into the grocery business and we launched GoJavaGrocery.”

As the service continued to expand and improve, the company founders thought GoJavaGrocery needed a new name. “And we wanted to add initiatives that help our community and the planet because that’s what we do in our office business,” says Ace. “We recycle coffee pods and we plant a tree for every order that we receive.”

TheGoodGrocer.ca also works with local farmers, food producers and restaurants to offer a selection of local items and prepared foods. The offering includes frozen pizza from Toronto restaurant Buca; coffee from Balzac’s, a local coffee roaster; pasta from Famiglia Baldassarre; and pie from The Pie Commission.

TheGoodGrocer.ca also sells a variety of meats, produce, baked goods, snacks, beverages (including wine and beer), and other grocery staples. “We are a one-stop shop, so we cover all the grocery essentials,” says Ace. Next-day delivery costs $2 on orders more than $50.

While there’s growing competition in home grocery delivery, Ace says what makes TheGoodGrocer.ca unique is the ‘good’ component and focus on local foods. “I don’t think there are a lot of grocery businesses out there that are planting trees and donating meals,” he says. “Secondly, our focus on local offerings and working with local brands is a differentiator, especially on the prepared food side.”