Think Twice! Buy Local

“Think Twice! Buy Local” is an innovative incentive campaign that provides bargains using QR codes and cell phones. It’s simple for shoppers to participate, whether they have a smart phone or not.

Shoppers with smart phones can look for “Think Twice” stickers on the doors, windows and walls of local businesses. Using their phone, they can take a picture of the Quick Response (QR) code on the right side to learn about special deals or information from the business. Local bargains also are available online at www.thinktwicemc.com.

Township Businesses Offer Many Options for Buying Local

Chef Anne Kearney of Rue Dumaine counts Emeril Lagasse and legendary New Orleans chef John Neal as her closest mentors. But the inspiration for her esteemed Washington Township restaurant comes from the fields of the Miami Valley as well as from the tables of Provence.

“We’re passionate about local ingredients like honey, organic eggs, and an ever-changing list of seasonal products from area farmers,” says Kearney, who participates frequently in the local farmers market. Her crusty, hearth-baked bread comes from Dorothy Lane Market and the restaurant’s rich desserts are whipped up in the Rue Dumaine kitchen.

Washington Township is partnering with Montgomery County to encourage shoppers to spend their money at dozens of local businesses such as Rue Dumaine, rather than drive outside of the county or region. The initiative, called “Think Twice! Buy Local,” includes an innovative incentive campaign for shoppers using QR codes and cell phones.

“There are so many great restaurants and retail establishments in Washington Township that there’s never a need to range far from home,” said Trustee President Dale Berry, noting that a close neighbor of Rue Dumaine, Bahn Mai Thai, was voted “Best Asian Cuisine” in a 2011 ActiveDayton.com poll. Meanwhile, Paragon Supper Club is a long-standing favorite among hearty traditionalists and Meadowlark Restaurant offers an imaginative menu at its new location in Lamplighter Square.

Think Twice is a buy local campaign launched by Montgomery County in partnership with COX Media Group – Ohio and Comtactics. Buy local campaigns are used to increase sales at local business because they are integral parts of our community, reinvest their profits here, and employ local residents.

Local establishments have a host of interesting stories behind them, Berry noted. For instance, the story of Rue Dumaine began when Kearney and husband Thomas Sand, Jr. left their New Orleans French Quarter restaurant, Peristyle, one of the most famous destination restaurants in the United States.

In 2004, with Anne’s father suffering from Alzheimer’s, the couple returned to Dayton to be near both of their families. Sand helped establish “Two Small Tomatoes,” an all-natural garden cultivated on the Kearney family farm in Lebanon.

Produce was sold at area farmers’ markets, but the ultimate vision was to grow much of the produce for the restaurant he and Kearney were planning. The strategy was to control quality from seed to serving. The new restaurant came to fruition as Rue Dumaine, which opened in November 2007 as a dining spot where friends can share delicious food and wine in a welcoming atmosphere.