With the conclusion of the Cuisine Cash program on Monday, Jan. 4, the chamber reported more than 8,500 gift cards sold for about $170,000. Incorporating a membership of more than 30 businesses primarily in the Brainerd-Baxter area, Pequot Lakes and Crosslake, the program offers gift certificates of $25 that can be purchased for $20. The intention of the program was to bolster local small businesses in the dining and hospitality industries through the hardest economic stretch in modern American history.
The program coincided with a recent executive order by Gov. Tim Walz — which restricted these businesses to curbside, delivery or outdoor services — to mitigate the economic impact of the health mandate.
The chamber, as well as some participating businesses, reported churches, local companies and volunteer organizations drove the program’s success, sometimes purchasing thousands of dollars worth of Cuisine Cash for their membership to support neighboring businesses.
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For the first 1,000 certificates sold, the Initiative Foundation donated $5 each to Bridges of Hope to help families in need. The chamber reported an anonymous donor matched the same amount for the next 500 sold. In total, that is $7,500.
Matt Kilian, the Brainerd Lakes chamber president, stated in a Nov. 25 email that the program launched strongly right out of the gates.
“We have sold nearly 1,000 certificates in the first few hours after launching the program,” Kilian’s email stated at the time. “Many orders are coming from businesses who want to thank their employees for a job well done in 2020. Many had to cancel their Christmas parties due to COVID restrictions.”
Matt Kilian
Kilian did not return requests for comment Monday or Tuesday.
Weeks later, Kristy Larson, the assistant manager at b*merri gastro pub south of Merrifield, said the program was a significant boon for the restaurant and bar. There’s been an influx of new customers, she noted, particularly from certain employers — for example, Clow Stamping Co. — that purchased Cuisine Cash certificates and handed them out to workers.
“It is definitely bringing in business,” Larson said during a phone interview Monday. She estimated she sees about four or five Cuisine Cash certificates every shift. “I think it's helping a lot of people. We are seeing a lot of faces that we haven't seen before.”
Marie Kirsch, the owner of Knotty Pine Bakery, said her business also benefited. There was a steady influx of people using Cuisine Cash certificates to purchase baked goods, she said, and the program was driving business.
“We were excited to be part of the program and it's been really positive so far,” Kirsch said during a phone interview Tuesday, Jan. 5. “There seems to be a lot of interest around it and people were really excited to find a way to support local restaurants and other food businesses during this time. It seems like it was a really good spin and I think it's been a successful program.”
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce small business index poll released during the fourth quarter of 2020, half of all small businesses across the country — of which, there are more than 30 million total — report they will not be able to sustain themselves for longer than a year at most.
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In the same report, the U.S. Chamber noted 62% fear the worst is still to come from the pandemic’s economic impact and nearly three-quarters, or 74%, say they need further government assistance to survive. Based on teleconferences and meetings by local chambers with figures like Congressman Pete Stauber, Sen. Tina Smith, among others, businesses in the lakes area and much of central or northeastern Minnesota have been particularly vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic, as they often represent hospitality and tourism industries that heavily rely on face-to-face interaction.
GABRIEL LAGARDE may be reached at gabe.lagarde@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5859. Follow at www.twitter.com/glbrddispatch.
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