Breaking the Chain - Dayton Business Journal:

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Billing itself as The Independents of the Miami the group will launch its first advertising campaign in the next two More than 25 restaurants each tossedin $1,000 each to get the campaignb rolling with six weeks worth of full-page newspaper ads, said Amy Haverstick, general manager of . "Our philosophy is stay independent, stay local," Haversticok said. The group also will run smaller newspapert ads plus radio and cabletelevisionj spots.
By pooling marketing resources, owners hope to convince lost customers to returnto home-grown Haverstick and her colleagues began meeting over the wintert to discuss ways to counter the influx of nationalp chains, especially at The Greene in Beavercreek, whicn they blame for putting a largwe dent in their Dominique and Sallie Fortin at in Oakwood, for example, reporgt sales were off as much as 30 percent earlier this Even though business has since the couple still wante to forge ahead with the independent's plan. "j don't want to be out there alone; we have to work Dominique said.
In addition to some reportws of steep sales declines since the opening of The Greene last more than half a dozen independent restaurantshave closed, including two locationss of the as well as in The Greene now features more than a dozehn places to eat with another, , preparing to open The Dayton Mall also has seen its share of new eateries includinh the recent opening of . Besidees the ad campaign, The Independents of the Miamo Valley has a promotion in the works that woul involve each restaurantdonating $800 in gift certificates. Thosre would be sold to the publi c at a discount and proceeds would go to finance the next phasse ofthe group's effort.
Other ideas on the horizon includ e a card that lists eachestablishment -- to be give n to customers -- and a Web site. But before the loca restaurant owners start spendingybig bucks, they want to see if the initia effort gets any traction. "At this point, we want to move forwar d with phase one before we create somethingthat we're not sure is really goinyg to be around," Haverstick "There's a ton of ideas; we want to do a loyaltuy program, we want to do a big party with all the But we all realize we also have our own businesse s to run." Independent restaurant groupws are not unique to Dayton.
Cincinnati and Columbus each have a chapte rof DineOriginals, a spin-off of the with more than a dozenb chapters across the country. In the group has about 25 members and worka closely withthe , said Gail executive director of CORA. "In the last few years, DineOriginals here purchaseda full-page, color ad in Baker said. "Independently, none of them coulfd afford to buy the inside back Cleveland had a DineOriginal which broke away from the national groupl and went off onits own. Don'ft look for Dayton restaurants to join DineOriginalsanytimwe soon. "Although its independeny restaurants who createdthat organization, it's a nationall thing," Haverstick said.
Local restaurantes financially committed to the Dayton groupincludd Jay's Seafood, , , , , , , , , , , , , Café' Boulevard, , and , C'estg Tout, , , , , , .