The Importance of Buying Local: A Guide for Golf Courses, Restaurants and More

For operators of golf courses, restaurants and other service-based businesses, the importance of buying local is clear: it can have a positive impact on your supply chain, the local economy and even your menu prices.

Buying locally can also reinforce your business’s reputation and commitment to sustainability — a major talking point for golf courses and food service businesses right now. As well as putting fresh, nutritious food on your members’ plates, buying local can help you align your restaurant and/or clubhouse’s practices with your policies on water management and golf course sustainability.

1. The financial advantages of buying local
2. Does buying local mean buying better quality?
3. The importance of buying local and the environment

The financial advantages of buying local

A recent survey found that 44% of consumers bought more locally grown produce in 2023 than the previous year. But what are the advantages of buying local products? You pay a little extra to be more ethical, right? Not necessarily: buying local can actually reduce expenditure while also bringing in more revenue as the perceived value of your menu increases.

Why buy local? It can help you save money

It’s a misconception that buying locally is always more expensive. A recent study carried out in California found that farmers’ markets were generally offering cheaper organic products than supermarkets, and the supermarkets in question could only offer significant cost savings on a handful of items (non-organic strawberries, carrots and onions).

If you focus on seasonal fare at the farmers’ market, you can often pick up abundant produce at low prices.

There are other cost savings to be found, too. As a business operator, your neighbors may be friendlier in price negotiations for bulk orders or may contact you directly when trying to shift excess fruit and veg. On the whole, if you build strong relationships at the farmers’ market next door, you could save money in the long run.

Buying local can increase perceived quality

Studies show that consumers place a high value on food that is labeled “local” (higher even than food labeled “organic”). Because of this, you should inject the “local” angle into your marketing efforts as much as possible via:

• Callouts on the menu
• Signage in front of your restaurant
• Publicity on social media

Local customers and tourists both appreciate locally sourced food — but for different reasons. According to a study from the University of Florence, locals appreciate the “community development and solidarity” aspect of locally-sourced food, while tourists like to experience “local culture and habits” by consuming region-specific products. Both groups appreciate the extra freshness and nutrition.

The importance of buying local and the economy

$68 out of every $100 spent at local stores remains in the local economy. As a citizen and business operator, you can take it upon yourself to direct as much of your spending as possible toward your neighbors, strengthening local businesses and fostering a sense of community.

Supporting the local economy isn’t charity, however. In fact, the benefits often come full circle: golfers are more likely to return to your course if it is located near a bustling town or vibrant farmers’ market.

Additionally, you might be able to establish mutually beneficial business agreements with local suppliers. For example, you could partner with a local microbrewery, serving their beer at your clubhouse while they advertise your course in their taproom or shop.

Does buying local mean buying better quality?

Sourcing local food is more than a financial decision. There’s a strong argument to be made that buying local food results in better quality menu items, a more dynamic dining experience for consumers and a more convenient buying experience for you, the business operator.

Local, fresh and traceable

Local food is fresh food, and because fruits and vegetables begin to lose their nutrients within 24 hours of harvesting, local food could also be more nutritious. Produce grown and cultivated in-state or in-province avoids the long journey from one place to another and retains those precious vitamins and nutrients. Of course, reaping this benefits also depends on how quickly you use these local ingredients.

Because of its short travel time, locally grown food is also typically free of preservatives.

Another advantage of locally sourced food is traceability. Restaurant managers can identify local products, see exactly where they are grown and follow their journey to the kitchen. No long periods of storage, no mysterious detours, just tasty local food.

A more dynamic menu

When you shop local, you’ll quickly learn the importance of a flexible menu. Many products are seasonal, meaning you’ll have to adjust your menu month to month as new produce is harvested.

Think of this as a positive! Sure, some of your staple menu items should stay on all season long, but a smaller and mostly rotating lineup of offerings will excite your guests — especially when they taste how the quality and freshness of your meals thanks to the local ingredients.

Resilient, transparent supply chain

Buying locally doesn’t just get you fresh, seasonal produce. It also gets you a reliable, resilient supply chain that is less likely to suffer delays or damages that are common when food has to move through different parts of the country or even across borders. Working with local suppliers means:

• Less dependence long supply chains and their associated vulnerabilities
• The ability to easily communicate with your local supplier to resolve supply issues
• Fewer last-minute kitchen emergencies

The importance of buying local and the environment

Buying food locally can help reduce the carbon footprint of your business while providing other advantages like protection of local land. However, you’ll need to consider aspects besides distance: researchers have argued that a food product’s carbon footprint may depend more on land use, production efficiencies, transport economies of scale and other factors.

Check out our blog on sustainable golf courses to see how you can act sustainably from fridge to fairway.

Reduced transportation

Along with economic and quality benefits, buying local can also lead to less strain on the environment. Importing food from thousands of miles away via land, sea or air creates unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions, fuel consumption and pollution.

The distance your produce travels from tree to table is sometimes measured in “food miles”. While experts recognize that other factors like production methods are more important than distance in determining environmental impact, it can still be worthwhile to reduce the food mileage on your menu by purchasing local — especially if your local farmers have demonstrated their green credentials.

Fewer pesticides

Commercially produced food is often packed with pesticides which can have a negative impact on the environment and, in rare cases, the health of consumers. Conversely, at farmers’ markets and other local vendors, you’re more likely to find organic products that are grown without the use of pesticides.

Protecting local land

When buying and eating locally, wildlife may be one of the last things on your mind. But when farmers don’t get enough support, they have to sell their farm. The American Farmland Trust warns that, if rural sprawl accelerates, the U.S. could lose 1 million acres of agricultural land every year over the next two decades.

Closed farms are typically redeveloped for commercial or industrial use, destroying wildlife in the area. On the flip side, when farmers thrive and maintain their land, those habitats remain intact. Buying locally therefore helps to protect farmland and maintain the natural beauty around your course.

Buying local with the right golf management software

So what is the overall importance of buying local? In short, using local suppliers can help you improve the quality of your menu, stimulate the local economy and move towards a more sustainable operation.

As you adapt to a local-first food policy, you’ll need a golf course restaurant POS that lets you easily perform tasks like inventory management and seasonal menu updates (with the ability to automatically push changes to major delivery platforms).

To find out how Lightspeed’s golf course management software can help you adapt to a locally sourced menu, talk to one of our golf experts today.