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If you've read my column for any length of time, you already know I am a huge believer in shopping, eating, drinking and supporting local whenever it makes sense. And I do mean when it makes sense.
I also believe in paying your bills, making smart financial decisions and running a sustainable business. Blanket advice like, "You should always buy local," without considering the financial reality, isn't advice I'd ever give. If one local business pays three times as much for everything simply because it's local, while receiving little to no reciprocity in return, you're just helping them close their doors faster. Ironically, that doesn't help the local economy either.
The same goes for buying something you don't even like simply because it comes from a local business. Life's too short for that.
Which may just be me defending my Starbucks obsession.
And yes, it is absolutely an obsession. My financial adviser would probably describe it as "an unhealthy line item."
But I digress. Per usual.
Despite my love affair with Starbucks, I am fiercely loyal to my hometown businesses. Local restaurants? I'm there. Farm markets? Count me in. Local shops? Absolutely. Local coffee shops? Love them. I have been known to drive through Starbucks on my way to a local coffee shop so I can enjoy one coffee while working over another. I never claimed to be logical.
Anyway…
One Saturday, I was making my weekly rounds, stocking up at all my favorite local food spots for the week ahead. My meal plan that evening revolved around fresh sourdough bread.
I pulled into one of my regular stops only to discover they were closed for the week.
One of the beautiful -- and sometimes inconvenient -- things about small businesses is that they actually take vacations. And honestly? Good for them. They deserve it.
But there I sat in the parking lot wondering what I was going to do.
My menu needed sourdough. Not grocery store sourdough. Real sourdough.
And yes, I fully realize there are people reading this thinking, "Lisa…it's bread."
To which I say…exactly. Good bread changes a meal.
So my brain immediately went into overdrive. Do I change dinner entirely? Do I swap Tuesday's meal with Saturday's? Will I have time to come back later this week?
Then I did something incredibly simple. I Googled "fresh sourdough near me."
Up popped something called The Bread Shed. Opening in 17 minutes.
Only open that day and the next. I laughed. Was it literally… a shed? At someone's house?
Well … Why not?
One of my favorite philosophies in life is that some of the best experiences happen when you simply say yes to something unexpected. So off I went.
As I pulled into the driveway, the shed doors were literally opening. Another car had already beaten me there.
A father and daughter were standing outside, smiling, excited about their little adventure. They told me they'd been following The Bread Shed on social media for months and had finally decided to make the drive.
Inside stood the baker herself, stocking shelves while chatting with everyone who wandered in. We talked about ingredients, the highs and lows of owning a small business, early mornings, community, and what it takes to build something from scratch.
I was hooked before I even bought a loaf.
Naturally, I left with far more bread than any reasonable person needs. I paid more than I would have at a big-box grocery store as well. And then I came home. Taste testing, of course, was mandatory.
One bite.
Cue my own personal Ratatouille moment.
Eyes closed. Head tilted back. A very sophisticated "Mmmmm."
That bread was good. Really good. Worth every penny.
Even my boys -- who normally think store-bought sandwich bread is perfectly acceptable -- were converted. Now nearly every weekend someone asks, "Are you getting that bread this week?"
So, long story…long.
Sometimes supporting local isn't about checking a box or feeling guilty if you don't.
Sometimes it's about discovering something you never would have found otherwise.
Sometimes it's about meeting the person whose hands made what you're bringing home.
Sometimes it's about conversations with strangers who become familiar faces.
Sometimes it's about accidentally creating a new family tradition because one business happened to be closed for vacation. (Side note: I still go to that other place, just not for sourdough bread.)
Buying local isn't always the cheapest option. It isn't always the right option.
But when it aligns with your budget, your values and something you genuinely love, you're often buying much more than the product itself.
You're buying stories. You're buying relationships. You're buying passion.
And every once in a while, you're buying a loaf of bread that completely changes what you thought sourdough was supposed to taste like.
Not every local purchase will become a favorite. But every favorite local business started with someone taking a chance.
This time, that someone just happened to be me…sitting in a parking lot, desperately trying to save dinner.
Mother, author, entrepreneur and founder of Dandelion-Inc, Lisa Resnick wants to hear your story. Share memories with her by emailing lisa@dandelion-inc.com.