A message from Tom, owner of Tom's.

When we support small businesses, we support our community.

 

When COVID changed all our lives, our community changed as well. While large, big box stores remained open, and had their best quarters ever, local small businesses were shuttered, closed, unable to do business. They are now struggling and they need our help.

 

Small businesses are the heart of our community. They define who we are, set us apart from all other communities. They are what make us unique to ourselves. They define us.

 

When the community is in need, it is our small businesses that answer the call. When a donation is needed for a local high school sports team, a little league, an arts group, a fundraiser for a sick child, when local charities are in need, it is our small businesses that step up to the plate and deliver. The large faceless corporations, have headquarters someplace else and don’t feel connected to us, don’t understand the needs of our community.

 

Small businesses donate their time, their energy, their money, their expertise, their merchandise and participate in all aspects of our community, without hesitation. They live here, they know us, they are a part of us.

 

When doing business with a local shop or restaurant, we are employing local people, paying local taxes, helping to support our families. They pay taxes to support our local schools, first responders, our parks, our neighborhoods, our infrastructure, all of our community services. When money is spent at a local business, a huge percentage of it stays right here with us, in our city, town, village and county. It does not leave the area to go and support some other far away city. It stays here, with us, an investment in our community.

Their employees and owners live here, work here, raise their families here. The salaries paid help local residents to put a roof over their head, and food on the table.. they create jobs, and more jobs.

 

Our small, locally owned businesses need our help, now, more than ever. The next time you need to purchase something, don’t click on that Amazon button, forget that search online, don’t go to the big box store or the national chain of restaurants. Instead, visit a local shop, business, restaurant. Make that conscious choice, not just once, but whenever possible, over and over again. They need our support if they are to be able to remain open.

 

We, at Tom’s are very fortunate. We are doing well. Our community has always supported us very strongly and they continue to throughout this difficult time. Not all small businesses are as fortunate as us. Not all are doing well. They are struggling.

 

So when choosing a restaurant, stop over at The Lost Dog, Little Venice, Kampai, eve our local subways are locally owned and operated. When you need furnishings for your home, skip the Wayfair button and stop down and see Brad Kirby, At America’s Attic. Need new furniture or appliances? Pass by Best Buy and go to Olum’s, Ellis Brothers, Raymour & Flanagan. And of course, if you need a gift or some of the best gourmet coffee on the planet, we would love to see you here at Tom’s

 

When we support small, locally owned businesses, we support our community in many, many ways.. So please, shop local, the community you save will be your own.