Shop Locally This Holiday Season

and the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce visited Umberto’s Restaurant and Pizzeria for a press conference this morning to remind folks to shop locally this holiday season.

Small businesses employ over half of all private sector employees and have created two of every three new jobs over the past 15 years; it’s because of this that Mangano is encouraging all residents to support their small hometown businesses not only this holiday season, but year-round.

“We recognize that there’s some Internet shopping and we recognize that some of that will occur,” Mangano said. “But we have to stay focused and realize that dollars spent here, stay here. It makes perfect sense.”

Ed Powers, director of emergency management for the Town of Hempstead said the Buy Locally campaign is done once a year at different venues to promote the small businesses in town.

“Umberto’s is the epitome of small businesses,” Powers said, who has a relationship with the restaurant owners. “I couldn’t think of a better place to pick.”

is just one of those hometown places that has been around for decades and has expanded into something bigger than ever expected.

“There’s a wealth of community spirit that is found in the local business and they are here today to bring awareness that you can find what you need locally,” Mangano said. “Every dollar you spend here preserves a job, it helps run your government, it helps support your schools, it helps support all that we do here in Nassau County.”  

Representatives from every chamber all over the county were in attendance during the press conference because, “they are the backbone of our economy; they represent 60 percent of the employment in Nassau County and they collect the dollars that keep our government running,” as Mangano said.

“This is a very important time of year for our local merchants, it’s the time that really either makes or breaks them,” said Christopher Murray, President of the . “Sometimes you can think outside of the box when you’re looking for gifts…sometimes a gift certificate to an Umberto’s  or a gift certificate to a local barber or salon…is a great gift instead of spending money on a plasma T.V or something that is made outside of the country.”

Long Island is home to over 90,000 businesses grossing over $100 billion a year and the majority of those businesses employ 50 people or less.

“Buy locally and shop in Nassau County,” Mangano kept reiterating. “There is such a vast variety of goods and services that are available locally and they are second to none.”