Bankert discovered another benefit of buying groceries at the locally owned market. She was able to fully stock her fridge, freezer, and pantry for less than $200 versus what she typically spends at her downtown Chicago grocer with the big name. “Handling my shopping was icing. It was really about just being available to my community and promoting a store. I think it would be great if we saw all locally owned businesses as OURS. We steward them. We promote them. Like our favorite cleaners or Chinese food, we adopt these places and go visit, tell our friends, spread the word. That's all I was doing except I really wanted to adopt them in a way, receiving nothing in return except the good feeling of knowing that local businesses succeed when I'm succeeding and vice versa.” Bankert said.
Bankert recognized that the hospitality and food industries have taken a beating in this economy. Many places say they need more help. So, her first thought was to just show up at a local restaurant and wash dishes or be a waitress, and she still wants to do that, but she wanted to start a campaign that could go viral.
to start a campaign that could go viral. She suggests that we should all adopt a local business and just be there for them and encourage friends and family to do the same. She even brought a NewsNation television crew out and talked to people as they shopped. It was all about giving people who are hardworking and who give back the kind of airtime that large corporations and nonprofits get because they can afford agencies, publicists, and PR people.