Award Spotlight: Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery

Mary Walsh and Jac Oliver of the Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery were presented with the Innovation in Sustainable Business Award at the 2018 ForeverGreen Awards Luncheon.

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Mary and Jac had the idea to start Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery in 2011. Their goal was to showcase all the wonderful local food being grown by small, family farms and to have a place that made it easy for Upstate residents to know and trust where their food comes from. 

The Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery is many things: a bakery, cafe, grocery store, pizza shop, wholesaler, and, most recently, a butchery. In all they do, Mary and Jac adhere to their mission to be a force for good in the community by investing in the success of local farmers and artisans, by empowering their staff to become change makers, by educating their customers on the importance and joy of buying local, and by providing a vibrant gathering space to eat, laugh, and dance.

The Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery, along with owners Mary and Jac, have been recognized for the important work they do for the community and for the local food movement in particular. They have been the recipients of numerous awards, including 2016 SBDC Small Business of the Year Award, the 2017 SBA Female Small Business Persons of the Year, the 2017 Greenville Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year, and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Small Business of the Year. 

Photo: Lauren Miller Photography