The phrase “Shop Small” always gets tossed around, but what about “Eat Small”? With a wide variety of local restaurants, Westfield residents shouldn’t forget to “Eat Small” and support our town’s home-grown eateries.

According to Pentallect, a food industry consulting firm, the revenue of mom-and-pop restaurants nationwide is projected to increase by 5 percent by 2020, while the revenue of chain restaurants is only projected to increase by 3 percent. These numbers are promising, and we hope they will be true for our town as well.

With all of the vacancies downtown, it is our responsibility to preserve our mom-and-pop restaurants so they don’t disappear. While many franchises are independently owned in Westfield and are beneficial to the local economy, the loss of original businesses would take a toll on our community. Imagine Westfield without local eateries like Vicki’s Diner and Bovella’s Pastry Shoppe, which have become part of our community’s identity. That’s right, you can’t!

We will always remember ordering bagels and home fries at Bagel Chateau on Sunday mornings, or sitting down for traditional family dinners at Ferraro’s. We have grown up with places like these, and we want them to remain a part of our lives.

Westfield’s downtown image is largely based on our commitment to local mom-and-pop restaurants; it’s what makes us unique. If every corner had a brand-name restaurant, we would lose the small-town feel we all know and love. So next time you’re craving a bagel, pizza or burrito, think: Who would benefit more from my business, the national chain or the Westfield specialty restaurant? You know where we will be!