PASO ROBLES, CA, January 12, 2021 -- With many local businesses forced to shut down or limit activities during the state’s Regional Stay at Home order, the City of Paso Robles continues to find ways to help support local businesses and residents. To that end, the City is announcing a new promotion to encourage Paso residents to support their local businesses.
The Paso Robles "Keep it Local" Gift Card Program is designed to generate sales revenue for local businesses and save residents money on local goods and services.
The program will fund incentives for locals to buy full-value gift cards or certificates from Paso Robles businesses at a 20% discount and the City will fund the difference up to $1,000 per business, equating to $5,000 in sales revenue per business.
With a small budget and big needs, the City was forced to get creative. “We know that simply spreading a limited budget around wouldn’t go very far,” says Paul Sloan, the City’s Economic Development Manager, “so we designed a program to leverage our funds and help get residents out supporting local businesses, save them and the business money, and hopefully have fun doing it. If businesses participate and locals embrace the program, it can generate additional sales revenue for local businesses and save residents money out of their own pockets at the same time.”
The Paso Robles "Keep it Local" Gift Card Program begins this week and will continue until all the funds for the program have been disbursed. Participating businesses will be listed on the City’s website and promoted on the City’s social media channels, in press releases and in the City newsletter.
Paso Robles businesses that issue gift cards or gift certificates can apply to participate in the program HERE.
For more information, contact Paul Sloan at 805.227.7237 or psloan@prcity.com.
This new promotion is the most recent effort by the City of Paso Robles to help offset the economic impact of the pandemic. Other programs have included $200,000 in CARES Act grants to small businesses, the Dining in the Park program, deferred or waived payments on parklet permits, providing parklet infrastructure, deferred business license fees, and waiving of TOT late fees.
The City is also launching a Propane Support plan in partnership with the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce to help underwrite the cost of keeping parklets downtown heated to support downtown businesses and the residents they employ during Paso’s colder winter months.
About Paso Robles Economic Development:
As of July 29, 2020, the City has employed a full time Economic Development Manager in the City Manager’s Office to develop strategies to improve the economic strength of the City through business development, retention and expansion, workforce development, job creation and the diversification of Paso's economy.
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