LEONARDTOWN, MD – St. Mary’s County Department of Economic Development, in partnership Visit St. Mary’s MD, have launched a program to support local restaurants in St. Mary’s County facing economic hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Restaurant BOOST Gift Card Program, a gift card investment and value-added program, will support locally owned, locally operated restaurants throughout the County. This program is designed to bring much needed revenue directly to our restaurant partners.
The program is simple – customers purchase a $25 gift card that will be valued at $35 for participating restaurants in St. Mary’s County. This is a great value for current or new customers, provides immediate cash to the restaurant, keeps local restaurants on the minds of our citizens, and provides an easy way for our local residents to give back to the small local business community.
“The service industry is at the heart of who we are,” stated Jason Aul, Executive Director for Visit St. Mary’s MD. “Our hope is to provide much needed support to the restaurants that make St. Mary’s County an amazing and unique place to visit and to live.”
The first round of funding was generated through the county’s Department of Economic Development, with additional funding currently being secured by Visit St. Mary’s MD and the community at large. “The goal is to give local restaurants a much-needed boost during this challenging time,” says Chris Kaselemis, Director of the county’s Department of Economic Development. “Our restaurants – and our broader hospitality industry – support thousands of jobs throughout the county. We are excited to provide additional resources to not only prop up restaurants, but to give our residents an opportunity to support them as well.”
Interested restaurants are encouraged to apply through our online form by following this link: https://forms.gle/7Ct6SdBssyXg8yd19. Customers can purchase gift cards directly through each restaurant. An updated list of all participating restaurants can be found at www.BoostStMarys.com.
Visit St. Mary’s MD and St. Mary’s County Department of Economic Development will run this program for as long as there is funding to support it. There is also a GoFundMe campaign for the program to encourage broader community support [gf.me/u/xxjswx]. Every dollar given through the GoFundMe campaign will go to support the program and the broader community.
Restaurants currently planning on participating in the program include:
• Ruddy Duck Seafood and Alehouse
• Linda’s Café
• Social
• Olde Town Pub
• Stoney’s at Clarkes Landing
• El Pollon Chicken
• WJ Dent & Sons / Chief’s Bar
• Morris Point
• The Cow and the Fish
• The Front Porch
• Bollywood Masala
• Salsas Mexican Café
• Kevin’s Corner Kafe
• And more to come!
For any questions, please contact Jason Aul, Executive Director of Visit St. Mary’s MD, at Jason@VisitStMarysMD.com.