Vote with your wallet and help your fave businesses through the recession

New York magazine’s cover story a few weeks back was headlined Freakoutonomics.
The subhead was: Few are feeling the city’s economic pain as acutely as shopkeepers, restaurant proprietors, and small-business owners. Amid eerily empty sidewalks and race-to-the-bottom sales, the questions are: What will it take for them to survive? And how are you doling out your dollars?
Read that last sentence again. How are you doling out your dollars?
This recession is not only about people who are suffering because of layoffs and bad mortgages, but about people who still have money in their wallets choosing not to spend because they feel nervous about the future. That’s not totally a bad thing — as a country, we’ve been on a credit-drunk bender for years and building up a little financial safety net isn’t a bad idea.
businesses-closing
The fallout of that, though, is that gutwrenching feeling when you’re surprised to see a favorite business closed for good. Sometimes, if you’re honest with yourself, you might realize that in spite of how much you loved the place, you’re not quite sure when the last time was you put any money in their cash register. And your affection doesn’t pay the rent.
This isn’t a change someone has made but one I’m asking you to make: Get out a little piece of paper and make a short list of the businesses you would be devastated to see shuttered. Then tuck that list into your wallet as a reminder to show them some financial support.
This isn’t saying go spend money you don’t have. If you love your local car dealer, you don’t have to go buy a new expensive car. (Although they might kiss you on the mouth if you do.) But could you get your oil changed there instead of the quickie lube place? What about getting some of your routine maintence done there? There are plenty of big and small ways you can make a difference for a business that’s struggling to cover costs.
In New York, my list would include local icons Lombardi’s and Zabar’s. Although judging from the crowds at both, there’s precious little chance either one would fail, I don’t take either for granted. Plenty of places that seemed successful and/or popular have fallen in recent months. Check this list on Yelp or this one on Eater just for stunning tallies of doomed restaurants.
I would also be really sad if Tex-Mex joint El Centro in Hell’s Kitchen closed, if the Gray Line tour busses stopped rolling through town or if we couldn’t get New Jersey tomatoes at Greenmarket from Stokes Farm.
It’s not exactly an independent local business, but I’ve also become a big fan of the Banana Republic in our neighborhood, where the clothes are good for the price and the staff is consistently helpful. Since the BR in the Village recently closed, it appears even Goliath isn’t recession proof.
Back in Ann Arbor, it’d be Arbor Brewing, Jerusalem Garden and Orchid Lane topping the list. And just next door, in Ypsilanti, Sidetrack rules with a tempeh reuben and deep fried pickles so good we often stop there for food straight from Metro Airport.
What are the businesses you love most — the ones you would absolutely hate to see papered over? And what can you do to help them through the recession?

I'm Colleen Newvine, and I would love to help you navigate your evolution or revolution
Let’s work together

9 Comments

  • ester venouziou
    Posted March 7, 2009 4:02 pm 0Likes

    Great idea: write down names of your favorite businesses, ones you’d be devastated if they were gone. And then, whenever you can, support them. And ask friends to support them, too.
    It’s not about spending money we don’t have … it’s about thinking before we shop, about not automatically defaulting to the big-box stores or the chains, just because it’s the easy choice.
    Supporting our neighborhood stores is a way to help ensure our communities will retain charm; it’s a way to keep us all united. It’s helping our neighbors, but also helping ourselves.
    Ester, from http://www.localshops1.com

  • jtebeau
    Posted March 19, 2009 1:08 pm 0Likes

    Here in New York, I add the Hi Life Tavern to the list, not to mention d.b.a. (best beer garden in Manhattan), Porto Rico Coffee, the Cyclone roller coaster, and The Mill, my favorite Korean joint.
    As far as my former home towns:
    For sure Arbor Brewing Company and J-Garden, as Colleen mentioned (and Ypsi’s Sidetrack), but also Ann Arbor’s Earthen Jar, By the Pound (bulk food store on S. Main), Pizza House, Encore Records, Northside Grill and Pinball Pete’s.
    In San Fran, definitely Suppenkuche (German chow in Hayes Valley), Axum (Ethiopian hole-in-wall on Haight), All You Knead (restaurant also on Haight), Caffe Trieste (old coffee shop in North Beach), and the bars Spec’s, Vesuvio, and The Saloon.
    In Chicago: Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders, Taco Burrito Palace, Ear Wax Cafe and The Old Town Ale House.
    In Muskegon: Fricano’s Pizzeria, G & L (chili dogs), U.S. 31 Bar-B-Q, Keefe’s Pharmacy, Someplace Else and the Bear Lake Tavern, which I hear is closed for renovations. Let’s hope that’s all it is….

  • ester venouziou
    Posted March 19, 2009 1:13 pm 0Likes

    here in florida, we’re working with businesses to come up with creative ways to promote them. one event that’s been very popular is the clothing swap.
    people bring clothes, trade for others. everything else goes to a local group that helps victims of domestic abuse, or people in transitional housing.
    this brings the community together, and brings in dozens of potential new customers for the business hosting it.
    for us here at localshops1.com, it helps us on publicity front. we send press releases, e-blasts, etc. we don’t charge businesses to help host the swap.

  • Colleen
    Posted March 21, 2009 3:13 pm 0Likes

    Ester, I’ve done clothing swaps for years but always at home.
    I would love to find a local business that would host — maybe a bar or restaurant that could offer space in exchange for drumming up some food and drink business? And having help organize, publicize and pack up the leftover clothes after? That’s outstanding.

  • ester venouziou
    Posted March 21, 2009 6:26 pm 0Likes

    A restaurant or bar would be a great place. Maybe they can do it on day they’re typically very slow? Restaurant might even consider offering some gift certificates, for raffle or something?
    Are you in Florida? We’re having one April 11, in St. Petersburg. Main shop we’re working with is a resale boutique, but the shop owner got all the stores in the plaza involved … she collected about 10 raffle prizes!

  • Colleen
    Posted March 21, 2009 10:22 pm 0Likes

    Wish I could join you. I’m in New York, where it snowed on Friday. Going to a clothing swap in St. Pete sounds pretty nice!
    Good luck!

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