Kurt R. wrote:We appreciate the locals that support the locals, we are all in this together. I for one would like to see the Louisville Originals partner with the other Originals.
As a strong supporter of the Louisville Originals, I can see both sides of this argument, but I'm not sure that sides need to be taken.
In my opinion there are two dynamics here, not really in conflict but in tension.
First, Louisville Originals exists <i>primarily</i> for the purpose of local indie restaurants banding together to achieve economies of scale that will help them compete against the chains. That's critically important for all of us who don't want to see Louisville become just another clone of every other middle-size, regional-headquarters city (despite metro's best efforts to push us down that slope with preferential treatment for the chains on the riverfront and in Fourth Street Live). To that end, I respect the Originals' right and duty to seek out the best deals it can cut with quality suppliers, <i>wherever they are</i>.
That being said, I think most, maybe all, the Originals remember where they came from and try to deal preferentially with local vendors <i>when they can</i>.
But sometimes hard decisions have to be made, and I'm not going to bash the Originals for going out of town if they can make a deal that no local is willing or able to cut for them. I'd hate it, though, if they never reached out to local vendors at all.