Locally sourcing ingredients is evolving from a niche market into the mainstream. Not sourcing any of your products locally will soon become a liability for your restaurant if it hasn’t already. Rather than the bloated menus full of heat and eat items, the new generation of restaurant concepts are offering less selections, making everything from scratch, and buying as many ingredients as possible from within 150 miles of their location. Whether you are a bleeding heart activist, or a pro-business capitalist, sourcing items close to home just makes sense. You can pat yourself on the back for saving the environment, or pat yourself for saving the local economy. Your choice. Either way, the move to source foods locally is getting to be less and less optional.

Restaurants, chefs emphasize sourcing local ingredients | Nation’s Restaurant News.

Brandon O’Dell with O’Dell Restaurant Consulting offers operations and concept strategy tools and advice for independent restaurants and small chains. Learn more at www.bodellconsulting.com.