“What is for dinner?” is a question that is asked daily. Even when people decide to eat out, they often have difficulty choosing a restaurant. To help solve this problem, we choose a locally-owned restaurant each time we eat out. Here are eight great reasons to eat in your city’s local restaurants.
1- Supporting Local Families
Eating locally helps support the restaurant owner and their family. The waitstaff, cooks, and other workers often live locally as well. In addition, they often purchase food from local farmers, local breweries, or wineries.
2- Superb Customer Service
Customer service is usually fantastic in locally owned restaurants for several reasons. First, they may already know you or recognize you as being a regular customer. Second, they can not rely on a chain restaurant’s reputation.
3- Boosting Local Economy
Keeping your money in your town will help to boost the local economy and help your neighbors to thrive. It feels good when you know where your money is going and who it is helping. When you support a local restaurant, you know that your money is staying there and not going up a ladder as it does in chain restaurants.
4- Exciting Menu Choices
Many local restaurants will incorporate interesting dishes that are from their own culture, which tend to be more unique than what you may get at a chain restaurant. Many times you may even see Grandma’s secret recipe items on a local menu.
5- Fresh Ingredients
As mentioned above, many local restaurants purchase from local farmers. This means the possibility of fresher ingredients, often with fewer preservatives. This equals deliciousness, and it also means that you’re prioritizing your health.
6- Chef’s Specialities
It is rare to find a chef’s specialty dish in chain restaurants, but in a local restaurant, the chef has the freedom to make menu choices of their own. They can try new twists on old favorites or create something new. Some will even consider their guests’ ideas and create meals or desserts based on what the customers are requesting.
7- Preserving Local Charm
When we support a local restaurant, we are also preserving the city’s history and charm. The only way to keep the doors open is to have customers. Without them, the restaurant becomes an empty spot in that city, which takes away from the character of the street while also taking away jobs from local people.
How the Pandemic Has Affected Restaurant Workers(Opens in a new browser tab)
8- Personal Connections
It is a fantastic feeling when you walk into a local restaurant, and everyone knows your name. Just imagine, the servers all want to wait on you. They chit-chat about their day or ask about your family. You feel good leaving a nice tip because you know exactly who it is helping. Some may even become friends. The feeling of being at home is what it is all about and can be felt in many local restaurants.
The next time you are trying to figure out what is for dinner, please consider a local restaurant and feel right at home.
Discussion about this post