Eat Local Ohio is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and reinvesting in the local communities that make up Ohio’s diverse landscape.
OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES
The Eat Local Ohio App was designed & developed to support and strengthen Ohio’s local communities by increasing
visibility and accessibility for independent restaurants and small food businesses. The app serves as a centralized platform
that connects residents with nearby local businesses, making it easier to discover, support, and engage with the local economy.
The primary objective of the app was to provide local businesses with an equitable digital presence, regardless of their size or
financial resources. By offering accessible tools for visibility, menu display, and business information, the app helps reduce
the digital gap between independent businesses and larger chains.
Eat Local Ohio also aims to encourage community-driven spending by promoting local dining options and highlighting the cultural
diversity that exists across Ohio. By keeping consumer dollars within local neighborhoods, the app contributes to economic sustainability
and long-term community growth.
In addition, the app focuses on creating meaningful connections between customers and business owners by showcasing local stories, values,
and community involvement. This approach fosters loyalty, repeat engagement, and a stronger sense of community identity.
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
The Eat Local Ohio app delivers a unique culinary experience by connecting users with nearby
independent restaurants through location-based discovery. By making local dining more accessible, the app promotes small
businesses, encourages community reinvestment, and educates the public about the rich diversity of Ohio’s food scene.
The local restaurant landscape in Ohio is highly competitive, with independent restaurant owners often struggling to gain
visibility against national chains and third-party platforms that prioritize paid placement. Many local restaurants lack the
financial resources, technical expertise, or time to invest in professional marketing, photography, or custom websites. As a r
esult, their food offerings are often underrepresented online, limiting customer discovery and engagement.
At the same time, consumer behavior has shifted toward visually driven decision-making. Diners increasingly rely on
high-quality food images and proximity when choosing where to eat. Platforms that effectively showcase dishes through compelling
visuals and provide clear distance-based results are more likely to influence dining choices. However, many existing discovery
platforms either charge high fees, favor sponsored listings, or fail to highlight independent businesses equitably.
The Eat Local Ohio App addresses this gap by creating a discovery-first experience that prioritizes great food photography and
location-based visibility for local restaurants. By allowing users to find nearby independent restaurants and view visually rich
representations of their dishes, the app helps small business owners present their offerings in an engaging, competitive way—without
requiring expensive marketing tools.
This approach improves discoverability for local restaurant owners, helps users make informed dining decisions quickly, and encourages
community-based spending. By focusing on visual storytelling and distance-based search, Eat Local Ohio strengthens connections between
consumers and local food businesses while supporting economic sustainability within Ohio’s communities.
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