The Perks of Supporting Local Food Businesses

The Perks of Supporting Local Food Businesses

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American author and food writer Anna Lappé once famously wrote that “every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want.”

Do you want a world of vibrant, self-sustaining communities? A world with diverse options for tasty food? A world with fewer cars polluting the freeways? If so, you can start by ordering dinner from a local food business.

It might seem like an outsized claim to make – ordering food from a local kitchen helps create a better world – but it makes a lot of sense when you look at it up-close.

In this post, let’s explore five critical reasons why you should “cast a vote” for a local food business.

It Bolsters the Community

When you support local businesses, your money heads back into the community – into ensuring that local entrepreneurs and fellow workers are employed. When those around you are financially supported, the whole neighborhood benefits.

Moreover, ordering from local businesses represents an opportunity for community members to interact. You get to know the woman making burgers down the street or the recent immigrant making delicious fried chicken from a delivery kitchen. Human connection is a fundamental part of community-building, after all.

It’s Easier on the Wallet

Take a look at what getREEF Miami was able to do: By setting up several community-oriented hubs for delivery kitchens, they were able to offer convenience without the cost. The platform, which delivers you food from local businesses wherever you are in Miami, cuts out the service fees you usually find on delivery apps and does away with costly markups.

Compare this to ordering from a chain restaurant across town, where you have to pay for service fees and markups.

You Enjoy Quick and Fresh Food

Close food is fresh food. The farther those French fries have to travel in the front seat of a delivery car, the limper they will be when they arrive at your doorstep.

When you support local food businesses, you enjoy quick delivery times and fresher food. Food delivery platforms that focus on local communities (like getReef, mentioned above) can have your food to you in 30 minutes or less – and the vast majority of that wait time is food preparation.

It’s Better for the Environment

Whether it’s you driving across town to go to a restaurant, or a delivery driver transporting a meal to you from an hour away, the carbon footprint adds up.

Short trips (either by car, bike or foot) are easier on the environment. Plus, they help alleviate some of the urban congestion caused by delivery drivers.

You Can Shake Things Up

You’d be surprised what you can find right under your nose. Chances are, your local community contains a diverse array of food offerings just waiting to be explored. Supporting local businesses sometimes forces you out of your comfort zone, encouraging you to try new flavors and experience new cultures.

Spending your dinner dollars on local food delivery means casting a vote for the environment, enriched community, fresh food and fewer fees. It’s a win-win for everyone.