Independent Restaurants as a Sign of a Growing Local Economy

On July 23, 2016 I got to host a small but intimate group of Instagrammers from Toronto on a tour of downtown Hamilton in search for some amazing local food. It was my first time hosting an Instagram event and was fun. With a combined total of almost 5,000 followers it was a great way to spread the word about Hamilton's fast growing independent restaurant industry. Which got me thinking about how the local food scene really started here. It wasn't long ago when the city was considered the "armpit" of Ontario with the numerous steel mills and chemical plants belching out tonnes of emissions into the atmosphere. But now most of that are gone leaving the city the ability to finally fulfill its destiny with a more diverse economy. 

Hamilton, especially in the lower city, is blessed yet cursed from a food problem. It has very few food stores that sells fresh produce like fruits and vegetables. However, it has a lot of fast food joints selling stuff that really cannot be consumed on a daily basis. I am not exactly sure when the local restaurant scene really started to explode, but there was certainly a few factors.

Firstly, Hamilton can be regarded as a "black hole" of franchised establishments. Other than Tim Hortons (which had its first store here) there literally had no large and well known restaurant chains in downtown Hamilton. If you wanted to eat at Milestones, Kelsey's, Boston Pizza, and other restaurants, you would have to go to the suburbs like Ancaster and Stoney Creek. So without the fierce competition from the big chains, the local restaurant scene was able to slowly foster their skills in the kitchen and the business.

Secondly, with the changing local economy from a manufacturing to service one, Hamilton has shifted gears and start opening their own business. With some skills holding a butcher knife and some sense of balancing the books, many started opening up not only restaurants, but other retail stores too. Eventually, dowdy streets like James Street North, Dundurn Street, Locke Street, and Barton Street are being revitalized in some fashion. People don't wait for the next Stelco to open. With some assistance from various levels of government, they opened their own shops. They ain't wealthy but it creates a sense of self worth and community. 

This growth in the local restaurant industry continues to expand in some of the established commercial streets, but over the next several years it will expand elsewhere as new entrepreneurs look for cheaper rent. Before you know it, I'll be doing more foodie tours and explore more places to eat in Hamilton.