Introducing HometownEats!

Hello!

My name is Erik, and I’m the creator of HometownEats. Over the past few months, I’ve been working (remotely!) with the incredible team at element6.io to build this website as a tool to help local businesses and provide a useful resource for members of our community.

Over the last year, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many small business owners in my community. As an entrepreneur myself, there is nothing that energizes me more than to see others who have turned their passion into a new business. One of my passions happens to be food and (when I’m not in the kitchen myself) there’s nothing I love more than to indulge in what the local restaurant scene has to offer!

Of course, no business venture is without risk. Every entrepreneur will – at some point – become accustomed to the sleepless nights wondering if they made the right choices, uncertain of what the future may hold. But none of us could ever have anticipated the events of 2020, watching as a global pandemic unfolds before our eyes and fearing the safety of our loved ones. We now find ourselves in a world where social distancing has become standard practice, and with that, new regulations that have left many of us unemployed and terrified of an increasingly bleak economic future. For small business owners, this represents an even greater threat. We know what it’s like to risk everything to pursue our dreams, but we seldom anticipate those dreams becoming a nightmare.

We now find ourselves in a world beyond recognition. While we remain hopeful that things will eventually return to normal, that hope carries with it an immense cost. It is with this understanding that my partners and I came up with an idea for how we could help, even if just a little. As marketing professionals, our talents are well-suited to thinking outside the box and seeking new ways to innovate. And with that in mind, HometownEats was born!

Our goal is simple – we want to showcase the strength and perseverance of our fellow entrepreneurs, and give back to the local communities that enrich our lives in so many ways. Throughout history, food has always been a surefire way to bring people together. We all love to explore new cuisines, experience different cultures, and meet new people. Although we cannot currently do so in the company of our friends and neighbors, we can still find ways to share this experience while maintaining our social distance. The world is in crisis, but that does not mean we must give up the things that make life worth living.

And so, we invite you to join us in supporting our local businesses. With the launch of HometownEats, we aim to provide an accessible tool that enables local restaurateurs to better connect with customers, while offering Wasaga Beach residents a fun way to discover new food options.

We are working hard to expand and improve this site, so please check back regularly for new features and restaurants. Please feel free to get in touch should you have any feedback or suggestions, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn for the latest news and updates! We’re all in this together.

I look forward to seeing all of you (after the quarantine, of course)!

Erik Fletcher
Founder, HometownEats
Follow @erik_fletcher