EDITOR'S LETTER

editor's LETTER "Worms and dirt marshmallows on a stick."

It sounds like something you'd eat in a hazing ritual at a fringe fraternity. But it's the opposite. It's two or three marshmallows dipped in white chocolate and rolled in crushed Oreo cookies. The worms are gummy worms that are "glued" on top with more white chocolate. It's not my first choice at the Sweet Shoppe Candy Store - I'm usually seduced by the chocolate-covered cherries - but it's manna from heaven for my 10-year-old daughters. And whenever we're in Flagstaff, it's the first thing we do. We load up on worms and dirt marshmallows. It's a conscious decision.

According to Forbes, when you "shop local," more than 50 percent of that revenue stays in-state, compared with only 14 percent for every dollar spent at a national chain. It's simple math, but it's not about walling off the outside world, says Michael Shuman, the author of Going Local. "It means nurturing locally owned businesses that use local resources sustainably, employ local workers at decent wages and serve primarily local consumers. It means becoming more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports. Control moves from the boardrooms of distant corporations and back into the community where it belongs."

"It's important. Really important," says Jonathan Buford, the co-owner of Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. "In fact, it pays for the fundamental things in your community that you couldn't live without - unlike the corporate conglomerate based in who-knows-where spending the profits on whoknows-what."

There are other reasons to shop local. It reduces the carbon footprint, it encourages innovation and entrepreneurship, and it's more personal. Jennifer Rolley is now a good friend of mine. She says hello when my family walks into her candy shop. And she lets my girls sneak behind the counter to help stir the chocolate. I have an intimate connection there, so when the pandemic came barreling in, I was worried. So was Jennifer.

"When it hit," she says, "we closed our doors for 50 days, fearing the worst. With 25 employees out of work, and college tuition due for our son, the future was uncertain at best. When we reopened, we assumed that people would be leery about going into public places, even with masks and limited capacity. We were stunned when all 25 employees came back. And so did our customers. Since then, thanks to the 'shop local' movement, business has been booming - 2021 was our busiest summer in history." Not everyone was so lucky.

Rancho Pinot, Phoenix Public Market, Barrio Café Gran Reserva, Criollo, Downtown Kitchen, Nobuo at Teeter House, Rincon Market, Switch, Café Poca Cosa, Sierra Bonita Grill ... the list of pandemic casualties could have been pulled from an Esquire list of the best restaurants in Arizona. We lost so many of our favorite places in the past two years, but so many still remain, and they need our help.

One of the survivors is Matt's Big Breakfast. Matt Pool is another good friend, and he called me the other day after a long morning of serving omelets to his neighborhood enthusiasts.

"Our thing has always been about local," he says. "We locally source as much as we can. And we view our vendors as part-ners. Hickman's Family Farms, McClendon's Select, ROC2 Coffee, the Pork Shop in Queen Creek... we support them and they support us. But it's not about buying from them because it looks good on the menu. It's a great way to keep money in the local economy and, just as important, you know that they operate with a similar ethos as you. They want to do the best job they can. And they're good employers.

"That's the philosophical motivation," Matt says, "but there's a practical purpose, too, especially when it comes to our criti-cal ingredients. We'd probably still be a pretty good breakfast place without our bacon, but the bacon that the Pork Shop makes for us every week - by hand - is an important part of our identity. We wouldn't be nearly as successful if we didn't use their products."

Matt shops local because he believes in community. And that community reciprocated when the world was derailed by the coronavirus.

"It was a shock when it happened," he says. "No one saw this coming. Fortunately for us, because we'd been around for a while, and we have this incredible following of regular guests, people came out and supported our restaurant in any way they could. They came in and bought gift certificates and merchandise ... people were doing anything to help. And when we went to online ordering, our regulars responded. That system was new to us. The bigger companies and the national chains already had drive-thrus - they were set up for this. As a momand-pop, it's difficult to compete against that. It really was the people 'buying local' that got us over the hump."

I'm grateful that Matt and Jennifer and Jonathan and so many others have made it over the hump, but we can't take their survival for granted. As we move into the holiday season, I encourage you to shop local, whether you're planning a Thanksgiving feast, looking for an interesting gift or just wanting to help out. A good place to start is Local First Arizona. We're a proud member of that remarkable nonprofit, which is the largest coalition of locally owned businesses in North America. The work that Kimber Lanning and her team do is heroic. Thank you, Kimber. We appreciate your tireless effort.

And to our many readers around the world, who have stayed with us in these difficult times, we are forever beholden. When you fill out your subscription card, order our license plate or visit our online store, you're helping us get over the hump. Thank you. On behalf of everyone at Arizona Highways, I wish you all the very best. And a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

ROBERT STIEVE, EDITOR