MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — You won’t need a plane ticket for this passport… just an appetite.
Small businesses on Anna Maria Island are offering special discounts through a Drink & Dine Passport.
It began last month to bring more people to the island’s restaurants.
What You Need To Know
- Small businesses on Anna Maria Island are offering special discounts through a Drink & Dine Passport
- Anna Lichnowski started the initiative to help small businesses that were impacted by Hurricane Helene
- Those interested can purchase the Drink & Dine Passport online or in person at the Coquina Beach Market on Dec. 12 and Dec. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For 35 years, Sam Marchi has been making and serving food with the same family recipes passed down through generations.
“Yeah, this is what we do. And I think we’re pretty good at it,” he said.
He’s the owner of Pizzano’s Pizza & Grinderz. While his business has other locations, this one in Holmes Beach has been going through ups and downs since rebuilding after it was flooded by Hurricane Helene.
“It’s been a rough year. Things have been a little bit off. You know, I think that’s just for everybody in general on the island,” he explained.
So Marchi and other businesses on the island agreed to participate in what’s called the Drink & Dine Passport.
Each business creates custom discounts, and people who purchase the passport can redeem each offer once.
So far, more than 120 people have purchased one.
“There is a lot of demand. People are excited,” said founder Anna Lichnowski.
Lichnowski first thought of the idea after experiencing firsthand what natural disasters can do.
“We come from a small town. It was impacted by Hurricane Sandy back in 2012. We know how hard it is to recover as a small business,” she explained.
She says it’s all about encouraging people to shop local.
Around 30 Anna Maria Island businesses are part of the passport, each offering different food and drink discounts.
“They all want more business. They need more business,” she said.
The passport costs $25 and covers up to four people in a family.
Marchi says he’s giving a 10% discount off orders when customers show the passport.
“I think it’s going to help us. It’s going to draw new customers in. And obviously, any new customers help all the island businesses,” he said.
Marchi knows that any initiative to help island businesses regain strength is something he wants to support.
Those interested can purchase the Drink & Dine Passport online or in person at the Coquina Beach Market on Dec. 12 and Dec. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Julia Hazel
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