Some business owners measure success in dollars and cents. Not Linda Illsley.
The owner of Linda’s Local Food Café calls 2013 an incredible year, but not because she raked in the well deserved profits at her Mexican-themed restaurant. Actually, she made less than she has in other years.
For Illsley, the year was a success because she went six months without ordering food from outside the area.
“We showed that it can be done,” she said. “You can source locally and organically and make it. We’re getting results, and it’s exciting.”
She started a program of cooked food similar to the one many farms offer, where you pay up front for a summer’s worth of bounty. By offering the program during the winter, Illsley was able to support local farmers by using their produce and stored vegetables in her prepared meals.
Her latest project is to buy a refrigerator case for farmers to sell fresh produce at her restaurant on days other than the Saturday farmers market.
And while the construction on Camino del Rio obscures her business from the road, she wants everyone to know she’s open. Just turn into Albertsons parking lot and the flagmen will show you the way.
