Local Doesn’t Always Mean Local

It was recently confirmed that there is a new food tour company in town. Secret Food Tours has landed in Cincinnati. This venture-capital backed company is headquartered in London, England, operates in 65 cities on 4 continents, employs hundreds of people, and purports to “immerse participants in the local food culture.”

Needless to say, I can’t quite get a handle on their mission.

Thirteen years ago, I started Cincinnati Food Tours on a whim. My walking tasting tours launched at Findlay Market in 2012 and have since introduced more than 20,000 guests to Cincinnati’s local food scene. From its inception, the goal of Cincinnati Food Tours has been to promote other locally-owned food and drink businesses. The foundation of my business has been built on the backs of our merchants, chefs, restauranteurs, servers, bartenders, and hospitality workers. But the success of my business depends on the personal relationships my tour guides and I have established with those very workers.

Living and working in the neighborhoods we serve has allowed our team to watch the evolution of our region over time. On our tours, we blend the history, personal stories, and cultural awareness we describe with what we have actually witnessed ourselves. Cincinnati Food Tours has had “boots on the ground” for more than a decade. Read our 5-star reviews and you will know what separates a small locally-owned business from an international conglomerate.

It’s the people.