I wanted to write you and thank you for the article Jan Hallahan wrote for The Mirror on June 5 (“When stores close their doors”). I have been a resident of Federal Way for almost 48 years, and in that time I have seen many businesses come and go, but never have I seen so many leave as in the last year.

Federal Way was built on small business: Local people who saw a need for a restaurant, business or service and opened the doors to take care of our residents needs. As the city grew over the years, many larger chains came into our city to provide goods and services that we had not experienced.

Many of these “large chains” are able to provide millions of dollars in marketing to drive business to their stores and restaurants due to lower labor costs in other states (Washington is the highest in the country), lower liquor costs (Washington is the highest in the country) and lower gas prices (Washington is one of the highest in the country).

Our community needs to remember that if they do not go out and support the local business owners and restaurants soon, there are going to be a great many more empty buildings in Federal Way, with many more people regretting the loss of their favorite store or restaurant.

Many of the restaurants in our city that are not “chain” owned and supplied with huge marketing budgets to drive sales to them are in trouble. They can’t get the banks to give out loans for new equipment or repairs, and have had the state raise the cost of liquor by 12 percent, the cost of beer by almost 20 percent and our L&I rate by almost 30 percent in just the last six months.

Restaurants in our state already made the lowest average bottom line profit of any state (an average of 3.5 percent). Add the recent increases and the poor economy and you can see why so many are suffering.

Please continue to implore the readers to support “local business owners” or soon we will all regret seeing so many empty buildings in our community.

Jim Ross, owner, Billy McHale’s Restaurant