March 2017 | Business View Magazine

96 97 Montpelier, Vermont the “locally sourced/farm to table” movement, there is a professionalism, maturity, and sense of community in the way the restaurants work with their local providers. Understanding how your food arrived is im- portant, understanding where it comes from and why is something else… “We celebrate integrity”, Maderia states. “We have only one corporately-owned, chain restau- rant in town, so if you’re eating at a restaurant here, chances are the person making and/or serving you food, owns the business.” Now, the idea of passion, community, and quality obviously sounds idyllic on paper, but does cultural innovation always pay the bills? “Over the past couple of years I’ve definitely noticed an increase in business at the restaurant,” Madeira continues.“I feel that Montpelier has clearly become a very convenient and welcoming halfway destination between Boston and Montre- al.Now that I’ve seen it over the last three years, we now have a repeat clientele of people who view Montpelier as their halfway point.” So outside of the location, how did this hap- pen? How does a town with the population 1/6th the size of Wrigley Field become a beacon for art lovers, foodies, nature enthusiasts, par- ents, and millennials? Simple: education. The Vermont College of Fine Arts and the Vermont Culinary Institute are regarded as the crème de la crème (likely, farm to table crème) of higher education within both respected art worlds, allowing the city to be able to foster creativity as easily as it can stick to its roots. While there are destinations that are re- nowned within history, as well as flash-of-the- pan locations that had their moment in the sun, the calm, collected, and organic growth (figu- ratively and literally) of this small community positions it to continue its development as the smallest epicenter of sustainable culture this side of the 21st century. And that’s a different sort of Happy Meal.