Why Support Independents Exists

Support Independents exists because something important has been lost in the way we discover places.

Finding good food used to feel human. You heard about somewhere from a friend, noticed a queue, followed a recommendation that felt personal. Over time, that’s been replaced by rankings, ads, and systems that reward whoever can pay the most to be seen.

That shift didn’t just change how people choose where to eat — it changed who gets discovered at all.

We didn’t set out to build another platform, marketplace, or review site. We set out to question a pattern that no longer felt right: good places being buried, not because they weren’t good enough, but because they weren’t loud enough.

This has even stretched to YouTube, with so called reviewers “honestly” talking about food that they are being paid to eat. So, are they reviews or paid ad slots?

Support Independents exists to explore a different approach. One that values fairness, curiosity, and trust over visibility hacks. One where discovery feels natural again, and where support actually means something.

This isn’t about fixing everything. It’s about doing one thing thoughtfully, and doing it properly.