This October marks the second year of Princeton Borough's Buy Local campaign, an initiative that promotes local services to foster strong neighborhood economy and atmosphere.
The campaign was established by Princeton Future, a volunteer citizen's group involved in the planning and welfare of the Princeton community.
"The people who live here want shops with the things they need from people they know," said Sheldon Sturges, co-chair of Princeton Future.
The Buy Local campaign was a response to the community's concern about being overshadowed by increasingly prevalent chain stores — which caused many local businesses to close.
"There have been a lot of independent merchants who have not been able to compete with the large, big box stores on Route 1," Sturges said. "What we're looking for is a little bit of each."
Three years ago, the Princeton Future Task Force, led by Sturges and Yina Moore '79, developed the Community Based Neighborhood Retail Initiative (CBNR) in response to a Borough survey.
During a CBNR volunteer meeting, the Buy Local campaign took form.
Moore said the movement for local economy is in no way unique to Princeton. It reflects a nationwide concern over local economies and how they are affected by national retail trends.
"The Buy Local effort has its roots in sustainable local economies," Moore said.
Restaurant week
The most important part of the Buy Local effort is community and merchant participation, said Raoul Momo, co-owner of Terra Momo Restaurant Group, which operates Mediterra and Teresa's restaurants among others.
Momo, along with other merchants, helped start Restaurant Week, during which community restaurants offer fixed-price menus for lunch and dinner.
Momo said he is pleased the businesses are joining together for the sake of the community.
Jean Coury, the marketing representative for Terra Momo Restaurant Group, added that merchants are trying to work together so the community can see the best of what local restaurants have to offer.
Other restaurants in Restaurant Week include Alchemist and Barrister, the Ferry House, Peacock Inn, Winberie's, Blue Point Grill and Yankee Doodle Tap Room.
Prix fixe menus include $15 lunches and $25 dinners at these restaurants from Sunday, Oct. 10 to Thursday, Oct. 14, according to an advertisement in the Princeton Packet.
Revitalizing the Borough
In addition to Restaurant week, the Buy Local campaign includes various other community-based activities.
Princeton Future is also organizing a vote for the naming of the new square on Witherspoon Street — a topic recently under much debate in the Borough.
Though the square is not scheduled to open in time for the Buy Local campaign, its arrival will add to the community's revitalized scene.
Last year, to mark the start of the campaign, Princeton Future put out the Pocket Princeton — a map and guide to all merchant services in the Borough.
The Pocket Princeton was distributed in Town Topics, a community publication with a circulation of 10,000 residents.
Although the guide was not given to University students, this distribution helped enhance the Buy Local effort and provided advertising for merchants free of charge, Moore said.
Reaching out
The campaign also incorporates activities and events for the community to take part in.
Kathy Moraldo, owner of Cranberry Station Art Gallery, is helping by organizing a scarecrow contest to which many local merchants have donated prizes.
Permission has been given by the Borough for scarecrows to be placed on lamppost throughout town — just one of many events planned for this month.
"The merchants are trying to say thank you for [the community's] continued support; it's been a real challenge for [them]," Moraldo said.
Teri McIntire, marketing consultant for the Borough, said a webpage, princetonparking.org, has been launched which clarifies parking options in the Borough.
Though most of the campaign has been driven by Princeton Future, Sturges added that the Borough has "been very helpful" in the process.
University President Emeritus Robert Goheen '40, the honorary chair of Princeton Future, played a crucial role in founding the group along with Sturges and Robert Geddes, the first dean of the School of Architecture.
"I think it's a remarkable example of concerned citizens getting together and finding out what the people in the town and neighborhood want," Goheen said.
In addition to Goheen, people affiliated with the University have worked on Princeton Future, including Vice President and Secretary Bob Durkee '69.
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