Support Local While Traveling: Houston Edition
Local, high quality goods in the market portion of Kickin’ Kombucha, a cafe in the EaDo area of Houston, Texas.
Roots in Harmony, a loose-leaf tea company based in Houston, listed Kickin’ Kombucha as one of the stores that now sells their teas. I was on a mission for matcha chai tea, but found a treasure trove of local delights. As the name suggests, Kickin’ Kombucha is a local kombucha brand, but while I lived in the Space City, they sold their product primarily at other local cafes and Whole Foods. Now, they had a home base with Chochinita & Company.
When my friend Andrea and I landed in Houston, Texas, we beelined for the new shopfront in EaDo. Inside the light and airy space were comfy chairs and a whole mini market stocked with mostly local items from vendors I used to support at Urban Harvest Farmers Market. They had everything from Scotty’s Stout Sauerkraut to Bee2Bee Honey to Flying Saucer Farms and more. I could support all my local favorites in one place, and I was in nostalgia heaven.
Kickin’ Kombucha’s “Snappy Beets” kombucha with beet, turmeric, carrot, ginger, and lemon. It was zingy and slightly spicy!
Houston isn’t local to me anymore now that I live in Alexandria, Virginia, but when traveling, it’s important to support the economy of the area where you’re staying. Cities and towns thrive on tourism and people who invest in their businesses and programs while visiting. This strengthens their community and helps them cultivate what makes them unique. Houston has become a foodie hub, with the most amazing coffee shops and a fabulous bar scene.
Other benefits of supporting the local area when traveling include:
Gaining local knowledge: your baristas, waiters and waitresses, and business owners know the area and make great recommendations for things to see and do!
Increasing employment: your demand for local services establishes a need for more jobs in the community.
Reducing your carbon footprint: buying local reduces the need for shipping items from far-off places and leads to less emissions.
Using public transportation: this increases demand for better, more efficient local transit, reduces emissions, and diverts money from large corporations such ride sharing or car rental companies and places into the area’s economy, where it can be better used for local needs.
More smiles: supporting local just feels good! And you develop deeper connections to a place that creates unforgettable memories.
During my short stay in Houston on my work trip, I managed to squeeze in visits to my favorite local haunts: Brasil Cafe, Kirby Ice House, Cyclone Anaya’s, Pondicheri, Local Foods, and Greenway Coffee. But I also ventured to some new places that popped up when I left, like Roots Wine Bar and Luce Coffee Roasters. What stood out at all these places were the people who were eager to make recommendations and help me enjoy the Houston experience.
Traveling is so much more than sightseeing and mall shopping. It’s engaging the community, immersing yourself in the culture, and crafting an experience that will stay with you for years. This is more enjoyable, more fulfilling, and, for a brief moment, you get to be a part of another world outside your own. And how much more beautiful is that?
Daphne Tuccitto seated outside Local Foods in Houston on a gorgeous day.
