As I was sitting in Otro Cinco last night for dinner, a delicious and local Spanish/Mexican restaurant (that also happens to have the BEST burgers) in my home city of Syracuse, I got to thinking about what makes it so special.
I know people that work there. The ambiance. Thursday night music. The flavors. The style. It's local.
Local. That word is thrown around all the time, and I know lots of people involved with the "stay local," "be local," "live local," world. But what does it even mean?
lo·cal
ˈlōk(ə)l/
adjective
- 1.belonging or relating to a particular area or neighborhood, typically exclusively so.
synonyms: community, district, neighborhood, regional, city, town, municipal,county
Aside from the obvious definition above, local movements have been incredibly important in economy post 2008, in thriving cities (or, maybe even more significantly, cities trying to be revived), and in the lives of communities like Syracuse.
The impact of supporting local businesses is huge. Research shows for every $100 you spend at a local business, roughly $68 stays in the local economy. If you spend the same $100 at a corporate chain, only $43 stays in the local economy. That's amazing to me!
This research has also led me to Brazzlebox, a free community network built by small business owners, for small business owners. Brazzlebox exists to allow local business owners to connect with one another and share their experiences, ultimately leading to more successful businesses that benefit an entire community. If you are looking to create a new business (be it another Mexican food joint - I love tacos - or an engineering firm) check out https://www.brazzlebox.com and see how they might be helpful in you building a local network of support.
And, get an Otro burger on their homemade challah bun! It's pretty amazing.
