Phoenix organization giving out free vouchers to support businesses
Mar 3, 2021, 4:15 AM | Updated: 6:06 pm
Arizona Center (Facebook Photo/Downtown Phoenix, AZ)
(Facebook Photo/Downtown Phoenix, AZ)
PHOENIX — The Downtown Phoenix Partnership announced it will hand out 200 free $5 vouchers on Wednesday to support downtown businesses.
The first DTPHX “Dollar Drop” will occur Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at CityScape Phoenix, with another drop scheduled for March 17 at the Arizona Center followed by more in the future, according to a press release.
Vouchers can be used just like cash – excluding alcohol – at more than 40 participating businesses. The first round of vouchers are good through March 31.
Purchases must be for at least $5 to encourage additional spending, according to the release.
The voucher drops are an effort to incentivize spending at downtown businesses and at least $20,000 is expected to be directly infused into the downtown economy from the program through April 30 with the possibility of an extension based on sponsorship, according to the release.
“Small businesses are vital to our distinct street-level experience, and by design, 85 percent of our restaurants are locally owned,” Devney Preuss, president and CEO of Downtown Phoenix Inc, said in the release. “They make our downtown neighborhood truly special, and our goal is to help our small businesses continue to weather the storm.”
Denise and Garry Bismore own Spoonz Cafe and downsized from three locations to one due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the release.
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“It’s definitely been a struggle — we’re down 60 percent,” Bismore said in the release. “We went from not being able to hire enough people to having to furlough our entire crew.”
The two in the release said the voucher program helps get the word out about their business and lets customers know they’re still open.
Preuss hopes consumer spending from one voucher at a time will add up for small businesses like Spoonz Cafe.
