THE LOCAL

Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, which includes Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks, my hometown is known as the "Gateway to the Sierras."

Established in 1912, it has a rich history of cowboys, rodeos, and good times. Just a stone's throw from the fair and rodeo grounds lies Old Town. Historic and quaint Old Town Clovis, home to more than a dozen antique stores, boutiques, salons, day spas, restaurants, bars, and much more!

My personal favorite is a family-owned restaurant called THE LOCAL that ONLY serves LOCALLY SOURCED food and drinks hence the name. The family has been in the area and food industry for more than 25 years and specializes in hand-crafted food sourced from local producers and made fresh every day. You can always catch one of them in the restaurant chatting and getting to know their guests.

Jesse Mendoza, owner and dear friend of my family, is only 31 years old and has successfully turned The Local into arguably the most popular and successful restaurant in Old Town in just over a year and a half.

When asked what his favorite thing about his business was, he said,

"One of my favorite things about owning the local is the look of enjoyment as people finish up their meal. Knowing we provided a meal to remember. We bring an atmosphere and vibe to the area that you really don't see anywhere. With great food to match."

- Jesse Mendoza Owner

He went on to say that,

"The Local is a place where you start off as a guest but turn in to family. We do our best to talk to everyone who enters our doors to ensure everything was perfect."-Jesse

It is a place you enter a guest but leave as a family member. This couldn't be truer. I was first introduced to The Local by my mother. She had heard good things from her friends and co-workers and decided to try it for a date night. My mother and stepfather consider themselves to be wine connoisseurs, and on their night out to celebrate, they ordered the most expensive bottle of wine. The food was great, and so was the service. About halfway through their meal and second pour of wine, they were both pleasantly surprised to find out that their server was, in fact, the owner! They became fast friends, and my family has made The Local a frequent lunch and dinner stop in our day-to-day chaotic lives. The food is not only so tasty that my mouth is watering just writing this, but it is so nice knowing that everything on the menu is coming from your neighbors, your friends, your family.

We ordered takeout as often as possible during the pandemic and gave as much business to our family as we could. My family has an unofficial motto we live by. "KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY," meaning, hire family and buy from family; now, this extends beyond just blood relations. We call conscious consumers and would instead buy from small businesses than big corporations like Amazon, McDonald's, and Walmart.

We do not have Amazon, cable, or subscribe to any streaming services and seldom go to Walmart. We grow our own assortment of seasonal fruits and vegetables in our garden and orchard and even gave some rosemary to The Local once, becoming a part of "The Local Process."

If you ever are in Cali, be sure to make a stop in Clovis at THE LOCAL!