Supporting local restaurants through Take Out 21
Alderman Doug Hay on how $21 per week can make a difference
Doug Hay
Guest columnist
The Valley Echo
January 27, 2021
Blue Ridge Biscuit Co. on West State Street is one of more than 30 Swannanoa Valley restaurants participating in the Take Out 21 initiative launched by the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, Jan. 27. The goal of Take Out 21 is to get local residents to pledge to spend at least $21 each week at local restaurants through the winter. Photo by Fred McCormick
The Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce and elected officials, Doug Hay and Pam King, will launch the Take Out 21 initiative, Wednesday, Jan. 27.
The effort encourages Black Mountain residents to pledge a minimum of $21 per week, through the winter months, on takeout meals from Swannanoa Valley restaurants. Hay and King worked with chamber board chair Jon Brooks and executive director Sharon Tabor to develop the initiative.
Take Out 21 is accompanied by the website, blackmountainchamber.com, which allows visitors to view food and brewing options in the Swannanoa Valley. The site provides links to the websites of all participating chamber partners, and mobile friendly links to the phone numbers of area restaurants.
Learn more about the Take Out 21 initiative and how $21 a week can help support local restaurants in Hay’s guest column below.
Doug Hay
Photo by Fred McCormick
There's something about a restaurant that sets it apart from other businesses.
Maybe it's because of the comfort one gets from good food. Or the shared communal experience of breaking bread alongside your neighbors.
Or, maybe, it's the drinks, laughter and gleeful chaos of feeding your family outside of the house.
Whatever it is, Black Mountain's restaurants play a critical role in shaping the quality of life for those of us who live here.
But unfortunately, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants have been some of the hardest-hit.
Because they're one of the few businesses where you sit unmasked for a prolonged period, they've been the subject of increased restrictions and general concern from many of us in the public.
So as cooler temperatures limit access to comfortable outdoor dining, what can we as a community do to safely help our restaurants through the winter?
One option is takeout.
Introducing Take Out 21
The Take Out 21 challenge is a collaborative effort led by the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce to help support our local restaurants.
Even though there's a light at the end of the tunnel, we must continue working together to keep each other safe and our businesses alive until the pandemic ends.
Here's how it works:
Pledge to spend at least $21 per week on takeout at local restaurants.
It's that simple.
Why $21?
Well, the 2021 connection is too good to pass on, but more importantly because if just 300 people make this commitment, that's $6,300 per week — or well over $125,000 between now and the summer rush — going towards the restaurant community.
Simultaneously, while the Chamber and community are adopting Take Out 21, the Town is also working to designate a few downtown parking spots in front of restaurants for to-go pickup.
Together we fill our stomachs, keep our community safe and help ensure our town is thriving once the pandemic is over.
I hope you will join me in taking the Take Out 21 challenge.