Where the locals go: Organization to provide tours of local businesses for newcomers, townies alike

New students looking to discover Bloomington’s local business scene will have an opportunity for an expert tour Saturday and three other Saturdays later this fall.

“Where the Locals Go,” sponsored by Local First Indiana, a non-profit organization that supports and promotes locally-owned independent businesses across the state, will provide walking tours of locally-owned businesses in the downtown area.

The tours will touch on the history and stories of some of the buildings.

Each tour is led by a different person, so tour attendees will have a different experience on each tour, said Una Winterman, event organizer. Included among the tour guides are local architecture experts, city history experts and a master of ceremonies from the Comedy Attic.

Winterman said the event is tailored to appeal to both new students and townies alike.

“The cool thing about it is that it’s really good for newcomers, but it’s also got enough history in it that it will be good for people that have lived here, too,” Winterman said.

Winterman said she would like the event to introduce new students in particular to the benefits of supporting local businesses.

“One thing we found is that if you ask a freshman or a sophomore what their favorite businesses are in town, they’re probably going to say a chain. But the longer students are in town, the less likely they are to mention any sort of chain. They’re much more likely to mention a local business, or two or three,” Winterman said.

This change in preferences, Winterman said, helps demonstrate how supporting local businesses can increase a connection to the community.

But the biggest benefit, Winterman said, is that local businesses contributes to the local economy much more than non-locally owned businesses.

“When you spend $100 on a local business, a much larger percentage of that will stay in our community, versus that money just going away when you shop at a non-local business,” Winterman said.  

A recent study in Michigan by Civic Economics supported that claim, finding, on average, for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 goes back into the local economy. At non-locally owned businesses, only $43 stays local.

The “Where the Locals Go” tours are part of an overall fall program sponsored by Local Indiana. “Going Local Week” will feature events from Sept. 2 to 11 at local businesses throughout the city, including a local art tour.

For more information, visit localfirstindiana.org.

— Zach Ammerman