Five Good Reasons For Choosing A Locally-Owned Restaurant

Posted on: 11 March 2016

Share

There are more than one million restaurants in the United States. Even if you live in the smallest town, you have a variety of eateries from which to choose, both locally-owned restaurants and chain restaurants. While chain restaurants may be easily recognizable, there are many reasons to opt for a local restaurant.

Benefits of choosing a locally-owned restaurant

1. Keeping your money in the community. When you eat at a locally-owned restaurant, your dollars stay right in the community and aren't shipped to a corporate headquarters in another part of the country. Those dollars get reinvested into the business as well as support workers and their families who use their wages to buy groceries, gasoline and other goods and services from local merchants. In addition, locally-owned restaurants often purchase their supplies from local farmers and meat purveyors rather than having supplies trucked in from a central warehouse.

2. Enjoying a unique experience. When you eat at a chain restaurant, every outlet is similar, whether you're dining in San Diego, California or Bangor, Maine. At a local restaurant, you get to experience a bit of the region's flavor as well as often taste local ingredients.

3. Being kinder to the environment. Another advantage to patronizing a locally-owned restaurant is that since many such restaurants buy their supplies locally, these supplies don't have to be trucked in from other parts of the United States, saving on fuel as well as wear and tear on America's highways. If you can walk to your local restaurant, that's even better, and helps to revitalize the heart of cities, rather than urban commercial centers and shopping malls.

4. Promoting competition. When you support a locally-owned restaurant, you are helping to promote a competitive marketplace in your community, a situation that often contributes to lower pricing and a more vibrant local economy.

5. Encouraging accountability. The owner of a local restaurant is a member of your community and, thus, is generally more receptive to feedback, both positive and critical. Unlike a CEO in a city far removed from the restaurant, this owner will likely see you in town as well as if you patronize his restaurant again and has more incentive to listen to your comments.

While eating at a locally-owned restaurant is not always possible, making an effort to support this type of business helps to keep your local economy healthy, promotes competition, offers a unique dining experience and is even kinder to the environment. Take a minute to search for a locally-owned restaurant the next time you dine out. Do some research online to find out which restaurants have been Voted Best of America.