SIRA: Independent restaurants band together against chains

Independent restaurant owners in Springfield are beginning to band together and crusade for a cause: survival.

The Springfield Independent Restaurant Association was founded approximately four months ago and has about 20 members, said James Clary, owner of Clary's Restaurant and president of SIRA.

A key focus of the organization is to generate awareness of local restaurants as they compete in a market full of chain eateries.

"We're going to be gone if everybody doesn't support us," said Suze Dunville, owner of Nearly Famous Deli and Pasta House and treasurer of SIRA. "We're going to go the same way as the mom-and-pop grocery store. It's terrifying."

According to an article in the October 2003 issue of Gourmet Magazine, chain restaurants are pushing independent owners out of business. It also suggests patrons of chain restaurants don't realize that the revenue generated by the chains goes back to corporate headquarters, not back into the community.

Fred Coco, owner of Metropolitan Grill, a 9-year-old independent restaurant, said competition and concerns about chain restaurants are among the reasons he joined SIRA.

"I think the main thing about this organization is that everybody is concerned about the chains that they're overtaking everything. But in my view, people who go to those chains don't really frequent my restaurant or a lot of the independent restaurants, anyway," Coco said. "The main focus of the thing is to try to keep the people of Springfield (coming) to the independent restaurants, instead of spending money elsewhere," Coco said.

Added David Bauer, owner of Mille's Turn of the Century Caf and Coyote Adobe Caf & Bar, "We wanted to start SIRA to represent that we're local Springfield restaurants operated by people in this area."

Quality and a better variety of menu choices are two things that independent eateries can offer that chains do not, according to Coco.

"A chain restaurant every one of them is the same kind of food and value," he said. "People think when they go to (a chain) that they're getting a great deal, but they're not. My prices are very comparable to their prices." Coco's Metropolitan Grill offers California Italian on its menu, with beef, veal, chicken, pasta and seafood.

"I'm not saying I've got bad business. I've got great business, or I wouldn't be around for nine years," Coco added. "It could always be better."

Bauer's goals in joining SIRA were "for marketing purposes, purchasing purposes and to create the goodwill amongst our restaurants."

Coco thinks that local independent restaurateurs are supportive of each other, and he says he's also hoping his SIRA membership will be a business benefit for his eatery.

"I joined (SIRA) on the pretense that we were going to maybe do some group buying and group insurance and stuff like that," Coco said.

Dunville is hopeful that SIRA can educate area diners. "We really want to do some cooperative advertising and make people aware of the fact that if they don't support independent restaurants, there aren't going to be any," she said.

Since its inception, SIRA already has accomplished a fair amount. It's filed for not-for-profit status, written its bylaws, and is getting its bookkeeping in order.

"We've also begun to work with insurance companies and credit card companies. We've started a marketing campaign to see if we can't influence some of the buying decisions in Springfield," said Dunville.

SIRA meets every two weeks in the various members' restaurants, said Dunville. "It's a good forum, and it's a lot of good camaraderie."

Membership dues are $400 per year, said Bauer.