Thanks to all the friends, loyal customers, partners and performers who have made Treehugger Dan's such a success and a Budapest institution; and who have made it possible for us to leverage this trust into also doing good community work!

After three months of looking at different properties at the end of 2005, I was lucky enough to find the space at Csengery u. and began renovating in early 2006. I made a long list of possible names, but I finally settled on the only one that I already knew at the beginning truly fit, Treehugger Dan's. For the non-native speakers, "Treehugger" is something the bad guys use as a swear word. For example, you are locked to the gate of a nuclear power plant trying to shut it down, and the security forces and workers may scream at you, "fucking treehuggers!" My friend Scotty Fairmont gave me the nickname "Treehugger Dan" a few years ago and I thought it was appropriate for the shop - and a name to be proud of. However, the first logo/sign on the door mistakenly read "Threehugger Dan's."

It was more difficult to find sources of used English books than I had thought. In desperation I contacted my friend Frederik and the US National Real Estate Library to see if he had any ideas. He knew local Takoma Books was sadly closing and put me in contact with the owner. I imported the first 4000 books, my starter kit, from Takoma Books in Maryland, USA around mid-February. We now have over 20000 in inventory and on the shelves!

Friends Rich, Tara, Rob, John and Anna helped inventory, stamp, price and sort them in alphabetical order on the shelves in a marathon pizza and beer session. The most vivid memory of this time was the dust and the desperate search for the phone number for a pizza delivery service! The full background story can be found here

Since 2006 Treehugger Dan's (THD's) has become, in the words of Hollywood actor Jeffrey Tambor, "an oasis." THD's quickly became an institution both in the expat and Hungarian communities, offering high quality second- hand books on virtually all subjects at reasonable prices in a smoke-free and friendly atmosphere. People are always coming in or writing for information on environmental or social justice, or just about any other subject. For example, where can they recycle used CDs or paint, where can they volunteer their time, or even where are some good places to hike? If I get the same quetion a number of times, the answer quite often ends up in Treehugger Dan's Positive Blog. The blog only relates positive stories on, for example, environmental or social justice issues, book reviews, restaurant or theater reviews, concert reports, wine reviews, travel and culture... Many of these stories happen right at home at THD's. Just about every Thursday night you can catch amazing live music concerts, a book launch or poetry reading, a meeting of a local NGO like Greenpeace or Amnesty International, or a wine tasting in the form of the Bitch Moan and Wine Club (in partnership with Discover Budapest). A list of past performers can be viewed here or check out our events calendar. If you are interested in performing, or want to get our weekly email newsletter to find out what is on, contact us at info@treehugger.hu

Three years ago we started a successful partnership with Discover Budapest  at their shop behind the Opera House. The new space allowed us to expand the scope of our events, and also put a few thousand more books on the shelves. The Lazar u. shop now also hosts several thousand used German, French, Spanish, Italian and other foreign language books.

We are also very proud of our expanding wholesale and retail organic Fair Trade coffee, tea and chocolate business. Some of our many successes include the Office of the Hungarian President, Dutch and Gambian
Embassies, Arriba Taqueria and the Caledonia Pub and Restaurant. A full list of partners can be found here. If you are interested in having Fair Trade coffee or tea at your place of business, NGO or school, contact us at info@treehugger.hu

Treehugger Dan's looks forward to seeing you all for many more years to come.

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