A salad bar at the back of an office park sounds simple, maybe bland, possibly even boring, but there's such intention, enthusiasm and commitment to basic goodness at Green-On that the project quickly starts to feel bigger, richer and more meaningful than just a place to grab lunch before the 2pm with Accounts.

It's owned by Frankie Cox, a chef so burnt out by pressure cooker jobs that she designed a business that puts people at its centre, both her employees and her carefully chosen Victorian producers.

Cox believes environmental sustainability should be a given so she doesn't bang on about it, but it's threaded Green-On's interior materials, cleaning practices, sourcing and menu creation: seasonal foods, simply prepared and combined with enjoyment, nourishment, balance and low-waste in mind.

The salads can hardly fail to be delicious – that's fresh, lively veg for you – but the impacts ripple beyond flavour, fuel and nutrients.

It could seem like all you're doing is sitting on the terrace eating the leafy greens bowl with cos, radicchio, green beans, avocado and pumpkin seeds but you're also sending a signal to Pepo Farms that their Ovens Valley pumpkin patch is worth toiling over.

You might be lost in appreciation of the particular tang of the house vinaigrette but you're also voting for the success of local apple cider vinegar maker Gaga's and their gut-buggy cloudy brew.

If you're desk-lunching or click-and-collecting, Green-On is embedded in the Returnr ecosystem of reusable takeaway containers. They sold 600 tubs in the first weeks of opening late last year and regular customers are frequently seen bringing them in for nutritious refills.

It's just one more example of the eating for impact philosophy that drives Green-On and makes it an easy, tasty, accessible – and surely scalable – platform for change.

Rating: Four stars (out of five)