By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

Live everybody else in Kent County, the Kent County Board of Commissioners like to eat and like to support local businesses when they can. So the commissioners have issued the “Kent County Takeout Challenge” urging residents to support locally-owned Kent County restaurants hit hard by the pandemic.

The social media campaign encourages people to order takeout and publicly challenge three friends to do the same by tagging them on social media, according to a Dec. 4 statement from the county.

The campaign will run through the end of the year and is using the hashtag #KCTakeoutChallenge.

Board Chair Mandy Bolter kicked off the campaign this week at Noto’s Old World Italian Dining where she “nominated” — publicly challenged — fellow Board of Commission members and residents to take up the challenge.

“This campaign supports local businesses, workers and families,” Bolter said in supplied material. “Local restaurants are part of the fabric of communities all across Kent County, and thousands of our neighbors rely on them for their livelihoods. But they have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. We want our local restaurants and their employees to emerge strong when this crisis is over.”

Restaurants, which were operating at 50 percent capacity since the spring 2020 ban on indoor dining was lifted, were again forced to move to takeout and delivery only when new Michigan Department of Health and Human Services orders took effect on Nov. 16.
 

According to the county statement, some local establishments fear the latest restrictions could force them to close permanently.

The campaign aims to help retain these businesses and the jobs they create. According to Local First, nearly 70 percent of every dollar spent at local businesses stays in the local economy through wages, local taxes, the local supply chain and more.

For more information on the challenge, including locally owned Kentwood and Wyoming restaurants, visit this page on accesskent.com.

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