With this major pandemic, local restaurants and businesses will be losing profits. To keep these businesses afloat, it is important that, when we can, we get take out from local restaurants, and go to local stores rather than big chains.

If local businesses fail, we as a community, lose individuality and are put into the pockets of corporate America. Many people could lose their jobs at these local establishments, which will raise the unemployment rate, and it will be nearly impossible for them to find a job during this pandemic.

Lakewood real estate is not always affordable; people could be forced into worse areas. Staying local is not always easy, because it is often more expensive; however people may lose their businesses if we stick to large chains that can afford less consumption. Bigger chains often find ways around big expenses by basing production in other countries, and making things at a large-scale which allows them to cut costs of production very low, so they can inflate prices to make huge profits.

Local businesses don’t have the same resources and make things local which helps other people in the community, however it is often times more expensive. The quality of local hand-made products is often higher, and restaurants often use fresher and better quality ingredients than chains.

While it may cost more to stay local, local establishments don’t make as much of a profit, making it harder to stay in business. When quality local businesses stay open it benefits the community, making it a nicer area and place to live.