ST. PETERSBURG, Fla – The City of St. Pete is trying to give people a reason to shop locally this holiday season as they launched the ‘Holiday Biz Bingo in the ‘Burg’ this week.
The campaign includes more than 260 participating local businesses around St. Pete.
The list of participating businesses includes retail shops, health and wellness spaces, art and music storefronts, cafés and restaurants.
People are encouraged to shop locally and fill their bingo cards with stamps from participating businesses. You can pick up a bingo card from those businesses or at City Hall and libraries.
City leaders say local businesses are the ‘heartbeat’ of the city.
“This last year has been difficult,” St. Pete City Councilman Copley Gerdes said. “My wife’s family business took on three and a half feet from Helene. We’re still cleaning up from that.”
For every row that’s completed, you can redeem your card at City Hall, local recreation centers or libraries for certain prizes.
The challenge lasts through December 31.
Daddy Kool Records is one of the businesses participating in the campaign.
“Dare I say, I feel like Daddy Kool is a pretty, pretty solid St. Pete staple,” Stella Puckett, with Daddy Kool Records said.
The store has been in the Tampa Bay area for decades.
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What they’re saying:
“It’s a two-man show, it is a three-man show, we have a very small staff,” Ashley Griffith, with Daddy Kool Records, said. “Every single person on our staff cares 110%. We put everything into this store, and we love and care about it so much.”
The staff at the store say their livelihoods rely on community support, especially as small businesses face competition from large companies and chain retailers.
“People don’t realize how much a little goes a long way with us, especially as a small business,” Puckett said.
Other locally-owned businesses around St. Pete also emphasize the value of the community’s support.
“You probably have to say we live here, you know,” Zac Arscott, the owner of Taste of the Islands Restaurant said. “But we open seven days a week.”
Arscott says his family business has been open since 1992, and was passed down to him from his sister. He brings a taste of the Caribbean to St. Pete through traditional Caribbean food.
“Not in my wildest dreams would we think we’d be still here in business,” he said. “But then the community is so good to us, and they patronize us, and so on, that gives us the drive to keep going.”
He says their customers have been loyal through the years, which has helped them continue to stay open.
“We’re very, very much glad for their support because without them, there would be no us,” Arscott said.
What you can do:
You can find more information on the City of St. Pete’s ‘Holiday Biz Bingo in the ‘Burg’ challenge by clicking here.
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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13’s Kylie Jones.