About

We're trying to make local the easiest choice.

Look Local started with a simple frustration: it's harder than it should be to find locally owned places. They don't have the same ad budgets as chains — so they get buried. We're here to change that.

Our story

The idea came from a trip to Hawaii. My family was planning a vacation and I had just finished coursework at NYU on sustainable travel. So I committed: every hotel, restaurant, shop, and tour would be locally owned.

Then I tried to find them.

There's no filter for that on Google Maps. No search option. You're piecing it together from travel articles, buried websites, TikTok videos, and Reddit threads — and most people aren't going to do that. The second something is inconvenient, you lose them.

That is why we built Look Local — to make it easier to choose local, wherever you are in the world.

The founders.
Why it matters
$45 vs. $14
For every $100 spent, a locally owned business returns $45 back into the local economy — compared to just $14 at a big chain.
2–3×
Money spent at locally owned businesses recirculates 2–3 more times than money spent at chains. (American Independent Business Alliance)

Money spent at a locally owned business stays in the community. It keeps families housed, keeps owners owning, and keeps neighborhoods from becoming somewhere nobody recognizes anymore. And you don't have to travel to see that — it can start right where you are.

What we believe

Three things we won't compromise on.

01 · Independent

Locally owned, no chains.

If you can find it in every airport, it doesn't belong on Look Local. We list independent, locally owned businesses. Period. The map gets smaller and better for it.

02 · Earned

No pay-to-play.

Businesses can't buy a spot, a star, or a better position on the map. Ranking is by neighbor reviews. Featured listings are picked by the editorial team — humans, not auctions.

03 · Specific

Real reviews, real details.

"Five stars, great service" doesn't tell anyone anything. Our reviews ask for one specific thing — the dish, the corner table, the time of day — so the next person knows what they're walking into.