Small Business Saturday 2020: Help Them Stay Afloat In Clearwater

D'Ann Lawrence White
·6 min read

CLEARWATER, FL — Small businesses have been the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, making Small Business Saturday in 2020 more vital than ever. This year, the all-local shopping event falls on Nov. 28 including in Clearwater.

Independently owned boutiques, gift shops, mom-and-pop hardware stores, restaurants and the like in Clearwater are facing unprecedented challenges due to coronavirus-related restrictions and shutdowns.

The list of Small Business Saturday participants continues to grow, despite the pandemic. Here are some businesses that have signed up so far:

  • Cristino's Coal Oven Pizza, 1101 S Fort Harrison Ave

  • O'Keefe's Tavern & Grill, 1219 S Fort Harrison Ave

  • BodyHealth, 301 Turner St

  • Knowbe4, 33 N Garden Ave

  • Ama Sunshine Car Wash, 1175 Court St

  • Chiang Mai Thai & Sushi Bar, 415 Cleveland St

  • One Stoppe Shoppe, 411 Cleveland St

  • Grindhouse Coffee & Cafe, 432 Cleveland St

  • Bros Pizzeria, 547 S Fort Harrison Ave

  • Sunshine Liquors, 800 Chestnut Street, Suite D-1

  • Charlie's Sushi & Japanese Restaurant, 1200 Cleveland St

  • Pre-Dating Speed Dating, 611 S. Fort Harrison Ave, Ste 104

  • Pinellas Computers, 600 Cleveland St, Ste 304

  • Tin Can Cafe, 307 S Myrtle Ave

  • Johnson, Pope, Bokor, Ruppel & Burns Attorneys, 911 Chestnut St

  • Fashion Cleaners & Shirt Laundry, 1152 Court St

  • Studio98, 411 Cleveland St, Ste 134

  • China City, 603 S Fort Harrison Ave

  • Hacienda Corralejo Mexican Kitchen, 1228 Cleveland St

  • Mexico Lindo Supermarket, 812 Court St

  • Court Street Animal Hospital, 1000 Court St

  • Roma NYC, 410 Cleveland St

  • Atrium Cafe, 430 Morton Plant St, Ste 102

  • Oscar Nails, 1233 Cleveland St

  • Pour Yours, 522 Cleveland St

  • Grahame's Gourmet Cafe, 601 Cleveland St, Ste 140

  • Carillon Floor Center, 1107 N Fort Harrison Ave

  • Princess Nails, 535 Fort Harrison Ave

  • Construction Equipment, 711 Jeffords St

  • Florida Paints, 712 S Missouri Ave

  • Chargebacks 911, 630 Chestnut St

  • Dana Dineen Floral Design, 535 Rogers St

  • Vector Bar & Arcade, 629 Cleveland St

  • Lincourt Pharmacy 501 S Lincoln Ave, Ste 10

  • The Lucky Anchor Florida, 519 Cleveland St, Ste 105

  • Open Air Design, 607 N Myrtle Ave

  • Mr Hookah, 801 Cleveland St

  • Restoration Cafe, 38 N Fort Harrison Ave

  • Clearwater, Florida

  • Homeless Empowerment Program, 1120 Betty Lane

  • Salon Gaboa, 812 S Fort Harrison Ave

  • The Business Academy, 900 Drew St, Ste 2

  • Mastertech Computer Products, 1266 Roger St

  • Mr Submarine - Mr Gyros, 1010 Cleveland St

  • Tack & Warren Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning Services, 806 Pierce St

  • Salon Pro Rx, 611 Fort Harrison Ave

  • Salon Bravo, 425 Cleveland St

  • Bob Lee's Auto Repair, 812 Park St

  • Clearwater, FL

  • Juli's Mexican Restaurant, 1237 Cleveland St

  • Pro Shop Pub, 840 Cleveland St

  • Marv's Meat Mart, 1225 Franklin Circle

  • Soul Sicilian Fusion, 516 Cleveland St

  • Honka Auto Repairs, 1266 Court St

  • Roadrunner Food Store, 1103 Court St

  • Zimbals Jewelers, 1150 Cleveland St, Ste 310

  • Clearwater Packaging, 615 Grand Central, Ste B

  • Moonlight Automotive, 1172 Turner St

  • Roses Jewelry, 514 B Park St

  • Stratus Video, 33 N Garden Ave, Ste 1000

  • Short Block Technologies, 1401 N Myrtle Ave

  • Yates Cleaners, 710 S Missouri Ave

  • CKO Kickboxing Clearwater, 523 S Fort Harrison Ave

  • La Bella Hair Products, 619 Cleveland St

  • Ace Auto Electric, 1239 S Lincoln Av

  • Clear Track Recording Studio, 814 Franklin St

  • Your Shopping Place, 113 South Garden Ave

  • VOWtel LLC, 1217 N Fort Harrison Ave

  • Suncoast Safety St Pete, 1145 Court St

  • Lovely Nails, 1221 S Missouri Ave

  • Windows By Zager, 1170 Gould St

  • Banelly Tienda Y Taqueria, 901 S Missouri Ave

  • Slice, 305 N Fort Harrision Ave

  • Silent Auction Pro, 223 Island Way Apt 7f

  • EEI Manufacturing Services, 703 Grand Central St

  • K & K Photography. 411 Cleveand St Ste 202

  • Fortis Business Solutions. 420 S Garden Ave

  • Victoria's Haircuts, 1213 Cleveland St

  • Maxa Enterprises, 1275 Cleveland St

  • Epracticemanager, 611 S Fort Harrison Ave # 115

  • Dealer Solutions One, 600 Cleveland St Ste 790

  • LW Western Services, 1218 Cleveland St

  • Koch Hoffman & Kaszuba Attorneys, 200 N Garden Ave Ste A

  • Apple A Day Natural Health Center, 119 N Missouri Ave

  • Clearwater Muffler & Brakes, 1216 N Fort Harrison Ave #B

  • Arc Life, 103 S Garden Ste A

  • Trim Studio. 700 Court St

  • Advanced Medical Integration, 601 Cleveland St

  • Canvas Crafts, 501 N Fort Harrison Ave

  • Family Billards, 1212 Rogers Street

  • DPI Pressure Washing, 306 N Jefferson Ave

  • Hair Du Soleil, 805 Turner St

  • Clearwater Basin Marina, 880 Osceola Avenue

  • Shack Shine, 1115 Carlton St

  • Relax & Wax, 1209 Court St

  • Melanie Fortuna, 619 Cleveland St

  • Blew Chocolate Salon, 701 N Fort Harrison Ave

  • Agent Link, 1130 Cleveland St Ste 210

  • Carrianes Isle Of Style, 1200 S Missouri Ave

  • Greg`S Custom Cycle Works, 1141 Court St

  • Bollenback & Forret CPAs, 1000 Pinellas St

  • El Cheapo Flags, 611 S Fort Harrison Ave

ALSO ON PATCH: The Clearwater Patch Business Guide

Did we miss anyone in Clearwater? Tell us in the comments or send an email to dann.white@patch.com and we’ll add it to the list.

Temporary closures, capacity restrictions, decreased demand for products and services and delays due to supply-chain issues have led to unprecedented challenges for small-business owners.

But the “Shop Small” movement continues amid these hardships.

“This holiday season looks a little different, but we can still share joy,” American Express, which established Small Business Saturday in 2010, said in a statement. “Shop small and support your favorite small businesses — both in store and online — all holiday season long.”

Sixty-two percent of small businesses in the United States need to see sales income return to the same rate it was pre-pandemic before the end of the year to stay in business, according to American Express.

These businesses, many family-owned, were already fighting for survival against malls, big box stores and online retailers before the pandemic.

“Small businesses have an immeasurable effect on the quality of life in neighborhoods by providing necessary resources and supporting a local ecosystem that includes charitable organizations, schools and churches,” said Caroline Connors, executive director of the Morgan Park Beverly Hills Business Association, an organization that supports small businesses on the South Side of Chicago.

Since 2010, local business supporters have spent more than $100 billion on Small Business Saturday, according to American Express.

A Shop Small Consumer Impact survey from American Express before the pandemic found that 73 percent of people think empty storefronts are a national issue, and 84 percent agree the increase in empty storefronts and the closing of small, independently owned businesses negatively affect their local communities.

The survey showed that when consumers are aware of the impact of spending their dollars locally, 75 percent said they would be more likely to purchase a product or service from small, independently owned businesses.

For every dollar spent at a U.S. small business, approximately 67 cents stays in the local community, according to American Express. This helps independent shops and restaurants keep their doors open and meet pay for their workers — your neighbors.

That amounts to about $67 billion that has stayed in local communities since Small Business Saturday began, according to American Express.

“With so many small businesses hit hard in 2020, it’s more important than ever to shop locally this holiday season to ensure they are able to continue operating in 2021,” Connors said.

This article originally appeared on the Clearwater Patch