Downtown South Bend, Inc. is calling on the South Bend community to help the downtown South Bend restaurants by committing to spending $25 a week on carryout. This simple act can help our downtown restaurants thrive, save jobs, and also help you discover new food to enjoy!

The TakeOut 25 concept started in Oak Park, Illinois a few months ago and has made a measurable impact since its launch. Downtown South Bend, Inc. is joining communities across the nation in adapting the campaign to help their local restaurants.

The simple act of spending $25 a week could bring an average of $20,000 a month to each downtown restaurant. If 10% of our South Bend population of 100,000 commit to this initiative, that will be 10,000 people x $100/month (4 weeks/$25 per week) = $1 million a month. $1 million divided between our 50 downtown restaurants equals a $20,000/month impact per restaurant.

The community is asked to join the Facebook Group “TakeOut 25 Downtown South Bend” and take the pledge on there, then post pictures of their carryout food/drinks on the group page. As an added incentive, each post will be added entered into a monthly drawing to win a $100 gift card to the establishment mentioned in the post. Gift cards are generously sponsored by United Beverage.

The page will also serve as a visual celebration of the many amazing culinary gems downtown South Bend has to offer, and it is hoped that people will discover some new food options. A full list of downtown eateries can be found at DowntownSouthBend.com/explore-downtown

This time of year is always a hard one for the restaurant industry, and the pandemic makes the situation even worse. The TakeOut 25 campaign helps increase chances of restaurant survival, while also being mindful of public health issues.

Learn more at www.downtownsouthbend.com/takeout-25 Please participate and help spread the word.