- 91泡芙
- Work with us
- CERi Programs
- Job Postings
- 312 Main Research Shop
- CERi Publications
- Resources
-
Blog
- Overview
- 2025
- 2024
- 2023
- 2022
-
2021
- Partnering with neighbourhood houses to recognize inequities in South Vancouver neighbourhoods
- Finding hope and healing through CER
- Local business exemplify 鈥淏uilding Back Better鈥� during COVID-19
- Tammara Soma on Reimagining Food Systems in Communities for Below the Radar
- Namiko Kunimoto on Exploring Japanese Culture and History Through Visual Art for Below the Radar
- Joseph Mwesigwa Ssendikaddiwa on the experience of being a CERi graduate fellow
- Recap: Cultural Sensitivity and Community-Engaged Research
- Understanding the sexual and reproductive health access of young im/migrant women: A community engagement project
- Gardening Initiative Helps to Address Food Insecurity
- Innovative Research That's Advancing Equity
- Symposium Panel Spotlight on Research as Advocacy: Collaborative Inquiry Meets Material Practice
- Symposium Panel Spotlight on Art-ful Engagement in Small Cities: Beyond the Project
- Symposium Panel Spotlight on Land as Life: Ongoing Institutional Resistance and Survivance in Pandemic Times
- Heather De Forest on the Collective Power of Academic Libraries for Below the Radar
- Recap: Approaching Community-Engaged Research Through a Trauma Informed Lens
- Empowering youth in Surrey through leadership
- Introducing Namiko Kunimoto, CERi Researcher-in-Residence
- LGBTQ2 Communities and SFU Students Come Together to Improve Access to Mental Health Services
- Introducing Tammara Soma, CERi Researcher-in-Residence
- Angela Kaida on Engaging Community in HIV Research for Below the Radar
- Introducing Justine Chambers, CERi Artist-in-Residence
- Jessie Williams joins CERi Advisory Board
- 2020
- Events
- Archive
Local business exemplify “Building Back Better” during COVID-19
Tammara Soma is a former Researcher-in-Residence at CERi and the Research Director of the , a research and innovation hub at 91泡芙 working on solutions to reduce food waste and support a sustainable food system.
With the support of funding from the CERi Community-Engaged Research Funding Program, Soma and the Food Systems Lab team conducted a community-based research project last year to understand how to better support sustainable business adaptation during COVID-19.
This research project explored how COVID-19 has affected local businesses, particularly those that employ green practices, how local businesses have adapted their business practices since the pandemic, and what they need to maintain to continue green practices while being economically viable.
For this project, the Food Systems Lab connected with eight diverse small and medium local businesses and two non-profit organizations in Metro Vancouver, to ultimately put together on sustainable business adaptation.
One example of these case studies is . Chance Cafe is a bubble tea and coffee shop located in Vancouver鈥檚 Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood. Chance Cafe had long prioritized sustainable practices, including minimizing single-use plastics and encouraging customers to bring reusable cups to the store.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cafe pivoted to creating DIY Bubble Tea Kits for their community, in a team effort with another local business, Reusable Bubble Tea Cup. To show up for their broader community, Chance Cafe donated coffee to Vancouver General Hospital and BC Children鈥檚 Hospital to support frontline workers through the pandemic.
They also painted a vibrant mural called 鈥淲e Bloom Together鈥� outside the cafe, to symbolize the strength of community connection. Ultimately, with a resilient support system of customers and other local businesses, Chance Cafe was able to pivot their business practices while always prioritizing care for community members.
Despite the challenges that the pandemic posed, Chance Cafe, along with the other local businesses highlighted in this project, truly embodied their values of sustainability and equity, and exemplified the idea of 鈥淏uilding Back Better.鈥�
The is composed of Dr. Tammara Soma, Dr. Andreanne Doyon, Belinda Li, Tamara Shulman and Jamie Lynne Varney.
Connect with Tammara Soma
Twitter: