Few markets have remained untouched by the fallout of pandemic shutdowns. One of the hardest hit: restaurants and bars.

First ordered closed completely in much of the country – unless curbside takeout service was an option – then told only al fresco dining would be allowed (a possibility only for those with space for outdoor tables), and now open only for a fraction of their usual clientele, many restaurants and bars have found COVID restrictions to be more than they can handle financially, resulting in widespread permanent closures.

In a survey published in late July, business review site Yelp reported that 60% of restaurants that closed because of government-mandated shutdowns will not reopen. “The restaurant industry now reflects the highest total business closures, recently surpassing retail,” Yelp said in the report.

Top 40 distributor PromoShop (asi/300446) saw the numbers and decided to take action. In particular, the company’s Boise, ID, office began by focusing on the hard-hit eateries in the city. They created a lighthearted “Stay Home Festival” design on a tri-blend crewneck T-shirt to benefit City of Good, the Boise Downtown Business Association’s nonprofit established in recent years by area businesses and civic organizations to benefit the community’s needy. Now, City of Good is concentrating on supporting struggling small businesses and those out of work.

The tri-blend crewneck includes a lighthearted take on the current COVID situation.

PromoShop teamed up with area restaurants to make the T-shirts available for purchase at their now-open locations. And now, they’re also available via PromoShop offices across the country, benefitting the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), a trade group formed by restaurateurs and chefs to help the industry weather the pandemic, as well as other charities focusing on current small business needs.

“We’re selling to corporate clients, and restaurants are making money,” says Kris Robinson, executive vice president at PromoShop, “and we’re raising a lot of money for small businesses.”

As of this writing, there have been nearly 500 individual sales of shirts and PromoShop has donated more than $1,500.

“Small businesses, especially in the food & beverage industry, are the backbone of our local economies across the country,” Robinson says. “Some are thriving during this pandemic, but many are not. Any way that PromoShop can help by raising money for these establishments is a win-win for all.”

T-shirts are available at select downtown Boise restaurants, via PromoShop account executives and at canericanswag.com.

PromoShop is headquartered in Los Angeles, with nationwide locations in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Encino, CA, New York City, Orange County, CA, San Diego, San Jose, Seattle and West Palm Beach, as well as Toronto and Windsor, ON.

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