Benefits Of Using Local Ingredients At Your Restaurant

At Organic Restaurants, we’ve noticed that more and more eateries have begun using local ingredients in their meals. Is it worthwhile for your restaurant to get its organic ingredients from local sources? In many cases it is! Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of buying local ingredients.

It’s Environmentally Friendly

When you’re using local organic ingredients, you’re being more eco-friendly. Transporting food and ingredients over long distances can create a significant amount of emissions. The ingredients might also need preservatives if they have to travel far. Shipping in your ingredients from a local source could eliminate the need for those long drives and preservatives, lowering the carbon footprint of your business.

You Make Connections

Buying local also helps you build connections in your community. You’re buying from local small farmers and often dealing with the actual person you’re purchasing your ingredients from. That means that you’re building up a solid working relationship, instead of dealing with a faceless corporation. That could end up leading to more opportunities in the future.

More Appeal for Locals and Tourists

Your restaurant could end up attracting more customers once it’s known that you’re using local ingredients. Many diners are looking for locally sourced food these days, so you could get more customers from the surrounding area to check out your restaurant. At the same time, tourists who really want the authentic experience are certainly going to opt for a restaurant that sources locally over one that does not. Depending on the region you operate in, this could be a massive boon for your business.

You Could Add Seasonal Items

Working with local suppliers could make it easier to adjust your menu every season. Offering specialty items for a limited amount of time could attract a lot of attention, since your customers know that they’ll have to come in to experience one of their favorite dishes before your menu changes.

Ingredients are Fresher and Healthier

Because the food you’re sourcing locally has less distance to travel, it’s likely to be fresher than something you bought from a big distributor. It’s also probably free of artificial substances and chemicals used by larger farms. As a result, the ingredients you get locally are healthier and fresher, and that makes for better dishes at your restaurant.

You Could Make More Money

Many restaurateurs think that sourcing locally is going to be a headache logistically and financially, but that’s not necessarily the case. You could actually end up making more money with just a bit of effort. Once it’s known that you’re using local organic ingredients, customers might actually be willing to spend more on the food on your menu. If there are greater costs involved with sourcing locally, you can cover it with the price of your menu items and reap all of the benefits we’ve outlined above! You benefit, local farmers benefit, and customers are happy to pay a bit more for fresher, healthier meals.

Your Local Organic Eating Experts

So if you want to reap the benefits of using local ingredients today, learn more about your local suppliers and see if it’s possible to use more nearby sources for the food made by your restaurant. All of us here at Organic Restaurants wish you luck with your local organic eating endeavors!