Buying local can have sweet rewards!

Cream & Beans milkshake with Tony's Ice Cream: buying local tastes great!

Keep It Local, by Barbara Lawrence - Feb 8, 2012

From food to just about anything else, you can support local business and therefore your local economy.  Everyone is concerned about having improvements in the economy. You, personally, can help make the job market and local economy better by carefully deciding how you spend each penny.

According to a Diane Sawyer ABC news program that aired in December, the average American family spends $700 on Christmas.  By spending just $64 dollars of that on a Made in America product, an estimated 200,000 jobs can be created, she reported. Imagine what we can accomplish year round. 

Cream & Beans offers locally made pastries.

One locally owned family business that I like to visit is Cream & Beans Sundries at 108 S. Main St., Mount Holly. You can get a sandwich, salad, and specialty coffee right here in Downtown Mount Holly. You also can treat yourself to local pastries and a Gaston County favorite, Tony's Ice Cream.  Tony’s Ice Cream began in nearby Gastonia in 1915. As an ice cream maker, retailer and wholesaler, Tony’s is available in a limited number of local outlets. The chocolate is perfect to me, and there is nothing better than a convenient drop-in at Cream & Beans for a chocolate milkshake! 

As I share my favorite spots for buying local, please send your choices in as well.  We have a lot of ground to cover in the Catawba River District area.

• Visit ABCNEWS and view its report on how buying local can help America's economic recovery.
• Visit CREAM & BEANS on Facebook.

A special note for your last-minute Valentine's Day shopping!  
Much of our Valentine chocolate and other candies are made in the USA.  Get creative, with a gift card from Cream & Beans, flowers from a local florist, and put together your own selection at Time Flies Country Store, 111 N. Main St., Mount Holly.  Thank you for thinking local!

About Barbara Lawrence - Barbara Lawrence has a background in economic development and real-estate research. Her work has included revitalization of downtown Boone, downtown Gastonia and now Mount Holly.