Support your local economy
Durstons, a local landmark on West Genesee Street, closed for business a few weeks ago after 50 years of operation. 50 years! It's always sad when a locally owned company is forced to close it's doors, but even more so when the business has been around that long.
As a small business owner, I can sympathize with how hard the decision must have been. Entrepreneurs pour their whole lives into their businesses; we spend a lot of time wondering if the "success" we crave is just around the corner...... or if it's time to call it a day. Success requires tenacity, but at what point do you declare defeat?
I always find it interesting when a business like Durston's closes and people say, "I LOVED that place! But I haven't been there in years". Well......maybe that's the problem. People take for granted that a business will always be there, but if the community doesn't support it you can't blame the owners for giving up.
For example - we have some top-notch locally owned restaurants in Syracuse, and yet the chain restaurants are the ones who seem to be busy every night. Why go to The Olive Garden when you can go to Aunt Josie's, or Joey's or Gentile's? Why eat at Denny's when we have Stella's Diner? Alto Cinco, BC, Dante, Arad Evans, Twin Trees and Peppino's all have amazing food from pizza to fine dining and they're locally owned. You will be hard pressed to find pre-made, heat-and- serve menu items in any of them, but in the chain restaurants this is the norm. So why is The Olive Garden packed every night?
I was having a conversation with a friend (also an entrepreneur) recently, and we were trying to decide where to go to dinner. She suggested a few places, one of which was a national chain. I told her that I never go to chain restaurants, just on principle. I believe that every time you make a purchase or go out to dinner, you have a choice - you can support another local business, or you can support a big national conglomerate. It does make a difference. She had never thought it of that way.
I'm certainly not advocating patronizing a business with substandard service or products just because it's locally owned, but chances are good that in the family owned business you'll find better service (and much better food) than the homogenized experience you'll have at the national chain. Which would you choose?
As a small business owner, I can sympathize with how hard the decision must have been. Entrepreneurs pour their whole lives into their businesses; we spend a lot of time wondering if the "success" we crave is just around the corner...... or if it's time to call it a day. Success requires tenacity, but at what point do you declare defeat?
I always find it interesting when a business like Durston's closes and people say, "I LOVED that place! But I haven't been there in years". Well......maybe that's the problem. People take for granted that a business will always be there, but if the community doesn't support it you can't blame the owners for giving up.
For example - we have some top-notch locally owned restaurants in Syracuse, and yet the chain restaurants are the ones who seem to be busy every night. Why go to The Olive Garden when you can go to Aunt Josie's, or Joey's or Gentile's? Why eat at Denny's when we have Stella's Diner? Alto Cinco, BC, Dante, Arad Evans, Twin Trees and Peppino's all have amazing food from pizza to fine dining and they're locally owned. You will be hard pressed to find pre-made, heat-and- serve menu items in any of them, but in the chain restaurants this is the norm. So why is The Olive Garden packed every night?
I was having a conversation with a friend (also an entrepreneur) recently, and we were trying to decide where to go to dinner. She suggested a few places, one of which was a national chain. I told her that I never go to chain restaurants, just on principle. I believe that every time you make a purchase or go out to dinner, you have a choice - you can support another local business, or you can support a big national conglomerate. It does make a difference. She had never thought it of that way.
I'm certainly not advocating patronizing a business with substandard service or products just because it's locally owned, but chances are good that in the family owned business you'll find better service (and much better food) than the homogenized experience you'll have at the national chain. Which would you choose?
Labels: Syracuse products
posted by Julie at 8:21 PM
1 Comments:
Closing of Durston's...
As a Durston whose parents grew up in Syracuse, and interested in family, I was surprised to see there was a Store ¿FISHING SUPPLIES? until recently. Was there still a Durston involved? Who founded the store?
There is a Syracuse page on my website Http://jdurston.mi-pagina.cl
I´d be grateful for any family news.
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