Local restaurants are the best certificate gifts

BY MICHAEL AARON

I thought I was “just giving a gift certificate,” but the look on their face was almost disbelief. We grew up in Sunset, Utah, right behind the Pizzeria and Circle Inn. As I was driving up for Christmas, I wondered ... do you think they have gift certificates? I mean, I’ll go in and ask, and if they say no, I can stop at an Olive Garden or something.

They did. Printed on a laser printer, hand-signed by the bartender. And they had a cute envelope to put them in.

And they were a connection to our past. THAT is buying local. Look around on these two pages, and you will see LOCALLY OWNED restaurants who WELCOME your business. A gift certificate from them stays in the community, helps a small business — or even a family — make payroll that week.

You know these restaurants welcome our community, because they are paying to reach out to us.

Local, LGBTQ-friendly, small businesses, community-oriented. How far away from the one percenters can you get?

Reach out and do something great this year with a gift from a LOCAL LGBT-friendly restauarant. I dare you.