Local business owners gear up for Small Business Saturday

Wesley Chapel, Florida. — A little caffeine can go a long way this holiday season.

Savannah Walsh is a baker at Provisions Coffee and Kitchen at KRATE in Wesley Chapel Grove.

Before the pandemic, she said business was consistent, but as the pandemic hit, spending started to lag.

Even with a bad economy, people are coming back to support locals, Walsh said, and she hopes that will stabilize ahead of the holidays.

“It’s very community-based and all that sort of thing, especially the difficulty that small businesses have had over the last few years,” Walsh said.

Eveline Scobie knows the importance of shopping locally and shares it with her grandchildren. She often goes with them to KRATE in the Grove.

“Support local businesses, they invest a lot of money, and usually if you own your own business, you work twice as hard as everyone else. So, yes, it’s important,” Scobie said.

There’s more to thinking about this upcoming Small Business Saturday than just the retail store.

Owen Robertson of the Lab Theater Project wants people to remember art too.

“Most of us have survived because of the artist and the work of art that gave us a way out. We have survived situations like being stuck at home. Supporting local theater is one way to continue that way,” Robertson said.

This year, the Lab Theater Project will begin selling season tickets.

Robertson credits Hillsborough County Community College’s STRIVE program for the beginning of his third venture.

The program has helped many experienced entrepreneurs through a six-week training program.

Those who graduated have now put down roots in the Bay Area, and hopefully shoppers will keep that in mind during the holiday rush.

During a news conference Monday, Congresswoman Kathy Castor emphasized the importance of shopping locally, saying she wants early shoppers to think of their neighbors ahead of the season’s big box stores.



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