Pacific Grove distributes coupons to support local restaurants

PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. (KION) For two and a half months in spring 2021, the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce distributed coupons for $10 off any meal at 36 restaurants in the city. The Pacific Grove Hospitality Improvement District fully reimbursed these restaurants all the way to June when the program ended.

The goal was to encourage guests staying in Pacific Grove to dine locally and support the city's dining scene. According to the Chamber, they provided over 3,772 coupons.

In January, $43,570 in coupons we distributed and cashed in by participating restaurants, which Chamber President, Moe Ammar said, “Undoubtedly, this program was the most successful restaurant support initiative the Chamber has undertaken in years due to the timing of the pandemic, restaurants enjoyed the benefits of this program when they needed it the most.”

Other cities on the Central Coast are also trying to boost their local economy. In Salinas, the city's Recovery Taskforce created a hashtag campaign and is planning a scavenger hunt to promote local tourism and small businesses. In Capitola, which 80% of its sales tax revenue comes from visitors, the city is supporting its businesses through various programs like their outdoor dining expansion.

Lawmakers in California proposed adding $1.5 billion to a program that gives up to $25,000 grants to small businesses that they do not have to pay back