Council of Independent Restaurants of America

I’m not the Opinion Princess for no reason. I smell a soapbox moment coming on…
A couple years back I had a contract (I’m a marketing & events consultant) to market 86 INDEPENDENTLY OWNED restaurants in DC, MD and VA. I learned a great deal about the plight of the independent in many US cities (hasn’t really affected us here yet to the same degree). Pre-​contract I had the mindset of «take it or leave it» when it came to chains, now I just LEAVE IT. I encourage you to do the same.
Founded by Bob Kinkead (Kinkead’s and Colvin Run Tavern), CIRA’s mission is to educate the masses about the independent restaurant. Independents support our community in so many ways — by creating jobs, participating in charitable endeavors and by contributing to the local economy (do you realize how much DC restaurants alone payed in taxes last year?). They also seek to have a little more equality by increasing the independent’s buying power and marketing efforts which is so easily monopolized by chains with big budgets.
Please take a moment out of your busy life to read what they have to say on their website and you might think differently the next time you are deciding where to dine. Beyond just explaining their mission, the website identifies lists of independent restaurants in cities where there are «Originals» chapters. Think globally, act locally. Cheesecake Factories of the world… BEWARE.