Unchained America day is coming up!

Each year, the American Independent Business Alliance www.amiba.net
sponsors an event called Unchained America. This year it's on November 18th, a Saturday. On this day, we are all encouraged to shop exclusively at locally owned businesses. Why? Because when you spend your money at a locally owned business, it generates three times the local economic activity as the same money would have if it had been spent at a national chain. Shopping local is good for our economy and good for building community and neighborhoods.

This year, Phoenix Coffee will again be celebrating this event. Specifically, we will be hosting roundtable discussions at both the Cleveland Heights cafe and the Lakewood cafe at 10 AM. I am inviting all you local business owners to come and sit down with me for a cup of coffee and let's discuss things that help us all compete well against our national competitors. What works for you? What hasn't worked? Julie Hutchison, owner of the Lakewood Phoenix, will be facilitating the Lakewood discussion. As I get word of who will be participating, I'll let you know. George Nemeth emailed that he is interested in recording the roundtable and posting it on www.meetthebloggers.net.

Also on that day, we will be rewarding all of our regular customers who bring in a friend who would have otherwise shopped at a national chain with a free bag of coffee for each of you. Whoppee! Share the Phoenix love!