Sorry for not updating recently, been really busy on this side. I've just stopped by to rant about some things.
Recently I've noticed that some people are pretty comfortable with going to the chain restaurants, too comfortable. This is unacceptable. People don't understand how much work is put into a local restaurant. Blood, sweat, tears and money is what it takes for a single person to open a restaurant.
You have no idea how much it takes for one human being to open a single restaurant when there is a chili's or red lobster opening up every day.
For a corporation to open a restaurant, it merely takes a few signatures from the CEO of the company to give someone a green light to start building something to specifically fit the needs of that specific restaurant. Money is not an issue for them, the only issue is one question: "will this location make me money?"
The local restauranteur has many things to consider; like, is it a good location, does my menu fit the needs of the possible clientele, will I have to sacrifice food cost for liquor sales (referring to a gastro pub)
Needless to say, it takes a lot more for a local to open a restaurant than a corporation. I haven't looked much into it, but I believe there should be a tax benefit for locals opening restaurants because they bring so much more tourism and money into the actual community than some restaurant based in indiana with restaurants across the U.S.
We don't realize that when we go to the local olive garden, that only a small percentage goes towards the actual community, and that small percentage is based on your state sales and property tax, but when you eat dinner at a local restaurant, all of your money goes towards a local entity, a percentage goes into the owners pocket; this owner is a citizen of YOUR city, he/she will make purchases in your city and help your local economy. another percentage goes towards wages, which will also be put into your local economy because of the local employees, and a decent percentage of profit will be put towards possibly funding community projects, or improving the restaurant, which in turn will bring in more guests and improve all of the things involved.
In conclusion, your local chef is working hard, REALLY hard, and you should support them because nobody goes to a specific location for an olive garden, they go so they can eat something that is only best served at that location.
Your challenge: Eat local for a month. If its the same restaurant, that's great! Restaurants may not have loyalty cards, but if they see you enough, you will be treated well and maybe get some freebies!
