This post is in partnership with Phillips 66®. All opinions are my own.
The holidays can be tough and this year, we wanted to share our thankfulness and gratefulness to those local businesses that have been able to stay in business through this year. It’s been a tough year for everyone, and I’m sure that every order we place is going to the bottom line of a business. I love small local businesses and what better way to say thank you than to team up with Phillips 66, highlight and support local businesses, and give back just a little bit. Today I wanted to share 2 of my favorite small businesses, say thank you to them, and also share a great list of restaurants crowdsourced by you that are doing the best they can with pivoting in 2020.
LIVE TO THE FULL
In partnership with Phillips 66, we are so excited to say thank you and support local businesses. Phillips 66 was so kind to give us gas cards so that we could give back to those who serve us. In these trying times, people have lost their jobs, income and hours have been slashed with some not being able to pay for gas to get to work. I’m thrilled to be able to Live to the Full with a full heart and giving back. Times are hard for everyone right now. Saving money where we can is important to us, which is why we use the MyPhillip66 App for deals and savings on gas too. Perfect for tracking our fill-ups and to find the closest station near us. Right now you if you use the app you can save up to 10¢ per gallon (up to 30 gallons) per fill-up at participating Phillips 66 locations through 3/31/21.
SUPPORTING LOCAL
It is no secret that I love coffee. I love coffee dates. I love coffee cake. I just love everything that a local coffee shop is. This is probably why I love Upshot Coffee so much. Ever since Upshot announced their opening in Cottleville, it’s been a regular destination. Even earlier this year, like many small businesses, they had to pivot and offer curbside and take out options. That ingenuity leads to half gallons of lattes that Jeff and I loved having at home.
We stopped in last week for a socially distant outdoor lunch date at Upshot Coffee. In addition to their own offerings, Upshot also carries Beets & Bones in their store; another local business focused on cold-pressed juices and bone broth. Bonus, supporting two local businesses! As we checked out, I inquired how many people were working that day and made sure everyone had a gas card from Phillips 66 to make their day a bit brighter. They were so touched that the owners of both the businesses came out and we chatted about how much of a bright spot it was in their day.
We discussed how their businesses were going and that in the first wave of the pandemic they did great. The second time around, they could use a little more business during their non-busy times. They had to adjust their hours to close earlier as well due to the lack of business. So, if you’re looking for a quiet place to work 7-9AM and 12-2PM are great times for a visit. Don’t forget they also opened a 2nd location near Lindenwood University this year as well.
If you’re curious about my order, I get the same thing every time. A Brown Sugar & Vanilla Oat Milk Latte, Beet & Bones PB&J Overnight Oats, and a Blue Wave. Another small business friend told me all about the Blue Wave juice when they first opened and I was hooked! Jeff loves the Texicano Power Bowl with Chipotle Maple Ranch. So good!
ST. LOUIS RESTAURANTS
UpShot Coffee and Beet & Bones are just a highlight of restaurants that are working so hard to stay open. I recently polled the And Hattie Makes Three audience to see who they knew that needed some extra love this holiday season. Some of these restaurants are so close to closure, but we’ll never know about it until it is too late. If you have any others that you love, please drop a comment and we’ll add them to the map.
HOW CAN YOU HELP
Right now, you can help by placing a carryout order, a drive-up order, even order gift cards from your local shops. Need holiday gifts? Consider gifts from these establishments too! What a fun little gift basket you could make with coffee and a gift card for teachers or that friend or family member. If you are going to do delivery, consider ordering directly from the restaurant and not a third-party delivery service. These services can take up to a third of the order amount and hurt the bottom line. Check to see if where you are ordering from has their own delivery service.
Take advantage of family meals and even restaurants that are offering additional promotions to encourage take out. See if your favorite pizza place has pivoted to frozen pizza. I know one of our favorites did and now we have a freezer full of pizza!
At the end of the day, we want these businesses to be around when life gets back to a little more normalcy. By supporting them now, it will ensure that they have a better opportunity to stick around. We’re so grateful to Phillips 66 for helping us highlight these businesses who need love and a shout out and to directly impact people who are working every day.
Tell me, what is your favorite restaurant right now?
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