By Kristin Crawford | March 20, 2020 at 5:23 PM EDT – Updated March 20 at 5:25 PM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Restaurants and businesses may not be open in full operation right now, though most are still doing take out, delivery or curbside delivery. But there’s still a way for you to help them out beyond that.
Small business and restaurant owners are urging their customers to purchase gift cards right now for them to use once these places are allowed to open back up, whenever that may be.
They say this will still help them make their payroll and pay some of their bills.
Most business owners acknowledge that this will most likely not make them profit but it will at least keep some sort of flow alive to help them keep their business open during these times.
Brunches owner, Danny McPherson says he’s happy right now as long as there’s money coming in that will help him to continue to make his payroll.
“I think most business owners know at this point that we’re not going to make a profit,” McPherson said. “So, it’s not as if we’re trying to make money off of the purchase of gift cards. It’s just, can we survive? And, with the purchase of the gift card it just helps us wait it out. And whether it’s two weeks or eight weeks or whatever it may be, it will just help us continue to keep that flow alive.”
Brunches is also doing their part to help out the community by purchasing gift cards from other local businesses to give to customers when they order from Brunches.
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Brunches is continuing to do take-out orders, deliveries, and curbside deliveries, but other local businesses have not had the means to do that. Love, Lydia Bakery tried to remain open for take-out only, but business wasn’t busy enough for them to manage that and they ultimately had to close.
Still, owner Lydia Clopton is encouraging customers to buy gift cards online for the future when she is able to reopen the bakery.
“The gift cards will help put money in our bank account right now to help pay our staff what we need to get them paid for the time that they’ve worked so far,” Clopton said. “And it will also help us keep some of our bills paid. And people can come in and use them when we reopen so they get something in return for it as well.”
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