The other day I got into a kerfuffle with some people on a page that celebrates LOCAL Tucson restaurants about a restaurant, they were promoting as local that was in actuality owned by a corporation in Scottsdale.
They were of the mind that as long as a company had local jobs that I shouldn’t make such an issue over it.
I have to say they were kind of rude about it, telling me that I didn’t know what I was talking about and that how could I nor support local chefs and if woman traveled here from Sierra Vista to work as a waitress does that mean we shouldn’t eat there? They even BLOCKED me, which means now that I can’t find the whole discussion anywhere. In trying to find the page that I thought it was on, there is no record, so either I have the wrong name or the moderators of the page removed the mess and let me stay on while BLOCKING them.
To accuse me of not being supportive of Tucson chefs is ludicrous considering my long history of writing about the culinary scene in Tucson. Still, I reached out to others on line to see what they considered Local Dining,
The response was quick and passionate and I have to say backed my argument. People talked about “investing in friends and neighbors instead of sending our dollars off to anonymous corporate shareholders” and “sharing the same values” and “Not making price or convenience the first priorities”. They cheered the concepts of “locally owned and local HQ” and “keeping my money in the local economy.” I quote them and apologize for not seeking permission, but no names are used so I hope they understand.
I get my detractors argument to a point. Any job is better than no job. But supporting true local businesses does more for the community both in terms of emotional support as well as financial support.
And those points are exactly what my detractors didn’t get.
Studies have shown that for every dollar spent at a locally owned and operated business 67¢ cents stays in the community as opposed to 43¢. That’s almost a quarter difference. 25%!
Plus, every dollar spent at local establishments results in 50¢ in additional local business activity. Businesses spend that money with a local PR firm, they buy business cards from a local printer, local suppliers for bread and beef: the ways local businesses buy local are numerous and varied. Add the fact that employees spend their paychecks locally and the impact is huge.
This is not a fly-by-night information. The facts were gathered by American Express in their Small Business Economic Business Study. Other data over the years says pretty much the same thing. Money spent at local businesses benefits the local economy in numerous ways.
I know it isn’t always possible to shop locally but I try my best to do so. I know that all the people who responded to my query do too and that there are thousands of Tucsonans out there who understand the importance of supporting our many wonderful local businesses.
A weird side point comes when we travel. Shopping and eating at local businesses in whatever city or town you visit also helps that community. There was an article on line about Jill Biden, who while traveling with the President, has a habit of popping in to small businesses wherever she is. Keep that in mind on your next trip.
I promise to increase my local shopping, especially once I get my second vaccine shot.
And I will continue to promote all our wonderful, locally owned restaurants in my writing and in my dollars spent.
That’s the least I can do.
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