Local First Arizona is asking residents to put their dollars where their community is.
Independents Week — running Monday, June 29, through Tuesday, July 7 — is the nonprofit’s annual, statewide push to spotlight the independent businesses that give Arizona its flavor, its jobs and its sense of place. The campaign encourages Arizonans to fill social media with #IndieWeekAZ and #LocalFirstAZ.
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For Thomas Barr, Local First’s vice president of strategic initiatives, the message is personal.
“When you spend $100 with a local business in Arizona, $43 stays right here in our state and recirculates,” he said. “If you take that same $100 to a national chain, only $13 stays here.”
Barr said he hopes by seeing that difference, people will remember homegrown household names, like Harkins Theatres.
“There are tons of really well‑known locally owned businesses,” he said. “One of my favorites is Spinato’s Pizzeria. They’re family‑owned and now employee‑owned, which is really cool.”
Shopping local means shopping smart.
“I remind people that when they go to the grocery store, they can seek out locally owned businesses,” Barr said. “They can find Danzeisen Dairy Stores, which is a great local business. You can find local sauces and hot sauces and things like that, regardless of where you are.”
Local First formed in 2003 to advocate for an economy where entrepreneurship is accessible and every community — rural, Tribal, suburban and urban — has the chance to thrive.
This year’s campaign highlights Local First’s searchable statewide business directory.
“Supporting local businesses is one of the most direct ways Arizonans can invest in each other,” said Kimber Lanning, Local First’s founder and CEO, in a statement.
Beyond the economics, Barr said choosing local brands builds connections.
“When you go and spend money with a local business, you get to know the business owner,” he said. “More times than not, you’re going to have a better experience and feel more rooted in your community.”
After 13 years with the organization, Barr has watched Arizona’s business landscape evolve. He credits much of that growth to the visibility and support Local First has championed.
“I’ve seen Arizona transform in a lot of ways because of the organization,” he said.
For Michela Ricci, co‑owner of Monsoon Market in Central Phoenix, Barr and Local First are the reasons she became an entrepreneur.
“Local First actually inspired me years ago to become an entrepreneur, and to actually change my opinion about Phoenix,” she said. “I’m a native, born and raised, and always really had a disdain for the sort of corporate takeover that in the ’90s Phoenix really had.
“It was hard to find cool mom-and-pop places, so I moved away [to Boston] after ASU. I came back and discovered Local First because Thomas Barr and I went to elementary and high school together — as very Phoenix as that is.”
Ricci recalled Barr saying she could influence the city, instead of “wanting to flee it.” So, she opened her first business, a coffee truck called The Early Bird, during the pandemic.
Next up was Monsoon Market in Central Phoenix with business partner Koral Casillas. The shop is known for its curated selection of natural wine, nonalcoholic beverages, pantry staples and local gifts. Ricci and her team taste everything, meet every maker and build relationships beyond transactions.
“It’s not just a product, they’re people. It’s really fun,” she said.
