The Downtown Phoenix Partnership has unveiled a new program designed to draw customers downtown and back into the restaurants, coffee shop retailers and cultural institutions to help recover from the losses suffered during the pandemic that make up the heart of downtown.
DTPHX Dollars is a $5 same-as-cash voucher that can be redeemed at many downtown businesses on purchases over $5. Businesses can turn in the vouchers to Downtown Phoenix Inc. and will be reimbursed within five business days.
Over 50 downtown businesses are participating in the voucher program. A full list of businesses participating can be found here.
“We’re really proud to be able to say that about 85% of our downtown restaurants and retailers are locally owned and really our biggest fear going into the pandemic was how many of those we could potentially lose and what that will do to the vibrancy of our downtown,” said Devney Preuss, president and CEO of Downtown Phoenix Inc. “This program is just one of the ways that we’re trying to help them weather the storm.”
DTPHX has held two pop-up events this month to distribute vouchers. Preuss said that 4,000 vouchers will be given out by the end of April. Any individual is eligible to receive a voucher, but Preuss said that the organization is targeting employees, students, residents, visitors and construction workers for this program.
“We have an incredible amount of construction happening downtown and we’re encouraging them to visit one of our local businesses rather than maybe bringing their lunch from home that day,” Preuss said. “Every little bit helps.”
Andy Milsap, the 71-year-old owner of Andy’s Shoe Shine and Repair, said the pandemic has hurt his business “really bad.” In addition to his store, which has been in downtown Phoenix for 16 years, Milsap travels with his two mobile shoe shine chairs to the convention center and hotels. Milsap said his mobile chair business has been shut down since last March.
“I have been doing this for 53 years, I am 71 years old and I have never in my lifetime seen it this bad,” Milsap said.
Milsap said he has received one or two vouchers from customers since the program began. While his business has only acquired a few $5 vouchers, Milsap said that any help is much appreciated.
“I think that downtown is just doing an excellent job overall,” Milsap said. “Just getting the word out and coming in and checking on us and seeing how we are doing. To me, it’s just like these guys are the heroes of downtown.”
Amy Charles, the studio manager of the Orangetheory Fitness in downtown Phoenix, said the studio was signed up for the program and also expressed her support for it.
“We were closed for like six months out of the year last year, so it was definitely rough. They did a great job with protecting people’s jobs but there was a loss of membership — people didn’t feel comfortable coming back,” Charles said.
DTPHX Dollars is scheduled to run until the end of April, but Preuss said the program has secured additional sponsors and there are hopes of extending it.
“We hope to be able to extend this program well beyond the end of April so that we can continue to provide that support as businesses still recover from the pandemic,” he said. “Our hope is to be able to extend it even through the end of the year, that just depends on corporate sponsor commitments and we are actively working to secure more.”
Downtown Phoenix Inc. is a non-profit funded by an assessment on property owners within the 90-square block area of downtown Phoenix. DTPHX is scheduled to have a distribution event on April 7 at the metal robot statue at 111 W. Monroe St.
Contact the reporter at eforquer@asu.edu.
