When I was in high school there was a little pizza place called Filibuster’s that every student either used as a hangout or place of employment. The owners worked hard to use local ingredients and hire students in the area. They even had a contract with the high school to provide pizzas during football games – for a while. The pizza chain that had previously worked with the school was upset, refused to do other fundraisers and donations that school functions relied on. I won’t say which chain because I do still like their pizza, but it certainly created a domino effect. Filibuster’s, being a local business, couldn't compete with a company that could get mass amounts of chemically preserved dough with pre-made toppings to toss out left and right, and was soon denied their contract because the school was bullied into complying with the pizza chain. The pizza chain was praised for “supporting the locals” while their trucks unloaded packages of frozen, pre-made pizzas from out of state. They proudly stamped “real cheese” onto their boxes that showed up at every school function. Since when did using “real” food become an incentive to buy food? At a school club meeting following the contract debate everyone was interested in the fate of Filibuster’s. Everyone spent time going back and forth on ideas of how to save a loved local business and a typical 15 minute after-school meeting lasted well past dinnertime, which was fine because plenty of pizza chain’s pizza was provided by the faculty sponsors.
    Filibuster’s was forced to shut down months later because of the increasing competition. Aside from a nostalgic pizzeria, our community lost out on a chance to improve itself. The students that they hired were out of flexible job opportunities, the farmer’s market down the street lost out on sales because they were no longer supplying vegetables and meats to growing restaurant, and the partnership between the schools and all local businesses was damaged. Although local businesses typically earn less than chains,  The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s (NTHP) studies across America have shown that local businesses circulate 20% more of their profits towards the local economy, including donations towards schools and charities, than chains.
    Taking advantage of local resources also meant that Filibuster’s carbon footprint was significantly less than fast food chains because didn’t need food in packaging or multiple trucks to transport supplies. Eating local is not only good for the community but for the individual as well. The ingredients used tend to be locally sourced and prepared fresh, making local foods a healthier option than processed foods in chain restaurants. If a community shifts just 10% of its purchases from fast food to local restaurants, the NTHP estimates that it can add millions of dollars to the local economy. I know that avoiding fast food altogether is impossible and there are still going to be days when dollar menu items are all I crave. Fixing all of the problems like food quality, wastefulness, and food market monopolies in the fast food industry is a really complicated issue, but doing simple things like considering all of the local options or giving something new a chance before choosing where you eat can make a huge difference.