In an attempt to curb the coronavirus pandemic, a majority of our cities have entered a second lockdown. Closed again are the restaurants, bars, and other small businesses we use to fully enjoy before this pandemic. With small and local businesses being hit the hardest and currently trying to navigate this crisis, there are still a few ways you can support local while staying safe in the city.

Recently from one of our IG Live sessions at @acitymadebypeople, we invited Seger of sjefietshe.nl to let us know how we can do just that, how we can support local businesses in their time of need. We hope this helps!

1. Don’t wait until they can open again, support them now!
Yes, of course we would rather have that meal at a restaurant, but your local favorite needs your help (read: cash) now. So please don’t wait until they can open up again but support their initiatives right away.

2. Opt for take-away rather than delivery.
Get off that couch! You’ve been working from home all day already, so take that stroll to the restaurant. It’s a win-win: they don’t pay the commission, and you get to have a fun talk and see some smiles.

3. Buy yourself a gift card!
As we like to say in the Netherlands, “wat in het vat zit verzuurd niet.” Buy a gift card now, support your locals, and have something to look forward to when the city opens up again.

4. Involve them in your plans.
Do you work at a big company and overheard your boss talking about getting catering in? Maybe consider a local restaurant to do this for you. At this time, lots of them have extra time and are open to stuff like this.

5. Holidays are coming…
We don’t know how long we will be in this trouble. If we are still in this during the holiday season, you could consider spending the money you would otherwise have spent somewhere fancy on a restaurant-at-home experience instead! Fun, tasty, and way less hassle.