MINNEAPOLIS — Captain Awesome is driving Bob tonight.

Let's break that down: Dustin Saunders, a delivery guy for Galactic Pizza who dresses for the job in a blue superhero suit complete with red cape and boots, is ferrying pies around south Minneapolis in an electric-powered three-wheeled vehicle that's been dubbed "Bob." Other members of the fleet are called "Frank" and "Les."

If it all sounds slightly ridiculous, that's Galactic Pizza. This is an establishment that recently sponsored "Richard Simmons Day" ("50 percent off everything if you dress like Richard Simmons").

But the irreverent approach masks a seriousness of purpose at Galactic Pizza, where the electric delivery cars are just one part of what its owner calls a "values-led company." Galactic Pizza emphasizes environmental sustainability and protection in its business practices, uses organic and locally grown ingredients when possible, and donates a small portion of its profit to hunger relief and other charities.

"I wanted to do good for people; I wanted to not, at the very least, be a burden on society and try to even contribute to it," said Pete Bonahoom, Galactic Pizza's 29-year-old owner.

Bonahoom's not alone — more small business owners are finding ways to achieve social good through their practices.

"The entrepreneurs will say, how can I solve this problem now and make money doing it?" said Byron Kennard, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Small Business and the Environment, which advocates green business practices.

Even as a college student, Bonahoom said he was spending a lot of time "thinking about how we can transform capitalism into something that can be an engine for good and not just creating waste." After graduation he got a job with a large financial services company, where he analyzed 401(k) plans and quickly grew miserable.

"Everyone was just there to make a paycheck and the ultimate goal of our job was to take in rich clients and make sure they stayed rich," Bonahoom said.

Bonahoom had worked at pizza joints in high school and college, and thought it a good venue for his goals. "With pizza, you need to have a crust and some cheese, and from there you can be as creative as possible," he said.

Some of the silly ideas were already in his head, like the superhero costumes.

In addition to Captain Awesome, Galactic Pizza's stable of delivery heroes includes Shark Girl, Luke Pierocker (rhymes with "Skywalker"), Italian Scallion and the Veggie Avenger.

Most customers who order Galactic know the place — it's been in business three years — and expect a superhero to show up at the door.

"A lot of it now is people wanting to show their friends," Saunders said. "Then there's the people who laugh hysterically, which is fun. And every once in a while I still get someone who just picked us out of the phone book and has no idea. Those are my favorite."

But he's also proud to work for a business that's trying to do right.

"It's good karma," Saunders said.

Bonahoom said some of his company's practices cost more than traditional ones, but he's covered the difference by severely limiting his advertising budget.

Bonahoom gives talks at business schools about his approach, and he's glad to have Galactic Pizza serve as a model for other small businesses.

"If somebody looks at me and says, 'I want to do that,' that's great," Bonahoom said. "If doing what I do influences someone else, then I can create a greater good just by having a pizza shop."