Lake Street rewards holiday shoppers with cash back incentive
MINNEAPOLIS — The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and in the heart of Minneapolis, there's a way you can get money back for supporting small businesses.
Between Nov. 15 and Dec.15, you can submit your receipt from spending at least $15 at Lake Street businesses and get a $15 gift card back. It's called the "Lake Street Loyalty Challenge," and it's being put on by the Lake Street Council.
The receipt can be from any Lake Street business, but the gift card will come from 1 of 6 businesses, including:
Arbeiter Brewing Co., Corazon, La Carreta Restaurant & Bar, La Michoacana Purepecha, Merlins Rest Irish Pub or Lake & Bryant Cafe.
Lake & Bryant Cafe has only been open for two years now and has contributed to the efforts to rebuild Lake Street after the pandemic and civil unrest in 2020.
"The idea behind this cafe is to have a place where people of every background, every walk of life come in, feel comfortable and find something on the menu that represents them," Sanjeev Azad, the owner of Lake & Bryant Cafe, said.
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Azad says his breakfast food is from countries all over the world. One of their more popular, unique dishes is the cheesy Shakshuka from Northern Africa and the Middle East.
The holiday season is especially important for a small business like this to grow, which is why the "Lake Street Loyalty Challenge" is so important. If you spend money on Lake Street right now, you get money back.
"I think that's amazing! Who doesn't love free money first of all," Azad said.
Azad hopes this loyalty challenge encourages customer consistency.
"We have spent zero money on marketing and it's all about people coming back," Azad said.
While it may be easier to shop online, you can't put a price on creating a community.
"You're a part of something, and I think that's what we need to nurture," Azad said.
If you participate in the loyalty challenge, you'll also be entered in a drawing to win larger cash prizes at Lake Street businesses.
For more info and to upload your receipts, click here.