Twenty-nine businesses in the City of Dayton received funding from the city’s COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program, which provided $1,000 grants to city businesses adversely affected by the pandemic.
Dayton City Council created the program in January 2020 in response to mandated closures and other financial adversities suffered by Dayton businesses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant program was financed through federal funds paid to the city under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, the economic stimulus bill passed by Congress last year.
Cheryl Gross of Master’s Touch receives a check from Dayton Mayor Ben Baker.
The City also created a Dayton Dining Dollars program in which the city mailed out $5 coupons to Dayton residents earlier this year to use at local restaurants. To date, 289 residents have redeemed these coupons. This program also was funded by the CARES Act.
“Small businesses and our growing restaurant, entertainment, and reception venues are the economic lifeblood of our city and important components to our city’s quality of life,” Mayor Baker said. “Many of these businesses struggled to stay afloat during the past year and City Council recognized the need to support these small businesses during this difficult time by creating these two business-assistance programs, which have proven to be very successful.”
The city began accepting grant applications for the COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program on February 1 and the application period closed on March 15. The following businesses qualified to receive a $1,000 check from the city:
• AA Wok
• Avenue Pharmacy
• Blue Ridge Simply Unique
• Candyland Recording Studio
• Care Bear Day Care
• Dayton Eagles
• Dayton Chiropractic
• Elite Mechanical
• Fastemp
• Galactic Fried Chicken
• Hansman’s Corner Market
• Hickory Dickory Dock Vintage Candies
• Hometown Heroes
• Hudson Piping
• Kate’s Catering
• Master’s Touch Beauty Salon
• Metal Solutions
• Purple Poulet
• Rose Room
• The Cobb Group
• The Lodge KY
• Tony’s Ole Saloon
• TQ Constructors
• Turner Machine
• Unataza Coffee
• Unicom Asset Recovery
• Urbandy
• VFW Post 2899
• Welding Equipment & Repair
Chris Enslen of the Dayton Eagles got a check from Mayor Baker at the Eagles’ new building currently under construction in the former Kenton Cafe.
Residents have redeemed the Dayton Dining coupons in eight of the city’s restaurants: AA Wok, Galactic Chicken, Hometown Heroes, Kate’s Catering, Purple Poulet, Taqueria Nogal, Trotta’s, and Unataza. Restaurant owners have told city officials that for every coupon residents use, they spend, on average, another $15 in food and drinks.
Approximately 15 percent of all of the coupons mailed to residents have been redeemed at restaurants and the city has reimbursed the restaurants for the coupons that have been redeemed.
Residents have until June 1 to redeem the coupons at restaurants, including Riverside Marina, a seasonal business that opens in May.
“This past January and February were our worst months during the entire pandemic so the city’s grant came just in time for my business; it kept us from having to cut our staff and payroll,” said Alejandra Flores, owner of Unataza Coffee. “And the Dayton Dining Dollars has been great incentive too, bringing several new customers, some of which have become regular customers.”
