Mt. Kisco Resident Launches RestaurantRelief.net; One-Stop Online List of Northern Westchester Eateries
Mount Kisco resident Laura Kelly loves the eclectic area restaurant scene and was looking to help local establishments during the coronavirus crisis.
“I came up with the idea last week of Restaurant Relief: Local Support for Local Restaurants, a customer-facing, hyperlocal website that has a tight focus: a one-stop online list of Northern Westchester restaurants where customers can buy their favorite restaurants’ digital vouchers/gift cards today to use later when the restaurants reopen,” the writer/web designer/project manager explained in an email on Tuesday. And, yes, she noted, the FAQs on the site answer the question of “What if they don’t reopen?
The site launched Tuesday at RestaurantRelief.net and its goals are to match up the “means” (loyal & concerned local customers who want to help now) with the “need” (all the shuttered restaurants), and also, Kelly said, “offer my free tech support to those restaurants in our area who do not currently have digital gift-cards available.”
“Since occasional take-out/curbside orders are not going to be enough to support our local places during these challenging times, these advance-purchase gift cards could serve as another immediate revenue stream for restaurants and their laid-off hourly staff,” Kelly noted.
Kelly is reaching out to local restaurants to get their gift card offers added to the list but, she explained, Restaurant Relief only works “if we successfully can make Northern Westchester residents aware of the initiative.” She enlisted the support of area influencers to help spread the word.
Kelly has no financial interest in this initiative, as gift-card vouchers are a direct purchase by restaurant patrons from each restaurant’s online gift-card system.
“I’m just a big believer in both our local communities and the power of crowdfunding to help out our struggling restaurants and their workforce right now,” she explained.
The two-fold goal of Restaurant Relief is to offer a simple, one-stop list of local restaurants’ digital gift-card vouchers for easy purchase by patrons and to help our local restaurants set up a digital gift-card program, if they don’t have one already. See the growing restaurant list here.
“Think about the amount you might spend eating out in just one month—whether picking up a fresh take-out salad or celebrating a special occasion as part of a big group—and pay forward to that future day when you will again be enjoying the delicious food served by our local restaurants,” Kelly advised.
WHAT ELSE KELLY SAYS SUPPORTERS CAN DO
Buy a gift card today for everyone on your gift lists tomorrow.
What’s your mom’s favorite restaurant? Or your partner’s favorite restaurant? Or your kid’s bus driver’s favorite restaurant?
Take a picture of your gift card and share on social media
Let others in the area know which restaurant(s) you’ve supported on social media and make sure to tag your post with the restaurant’s name and #RestaurantRelief #eatlocal #WestchesterCounty
Spread the word about Restaurant Relief and challenge your friends
Tag your friends in your posts to encourage restaurant-goers to support our restaurants now, when they need it the most.
#restaurantrelief #supportlocalbusiness #inthistogether #eatlocal #wecare #westchestercounty #westchesterfood #westchestereats
Examiner Media – Keeping you informed with professionally-reported local news, features, and sports coverage.