On Election Day this Tuesday, Boston is holding its general municipal election. To drum up civic involvement, a South End nonprofit has thought a great way to incorporate local businesses and make its residents more civically engaged.
Washington Gateway Main Street is a nonprofit whose goal is to help support local businesses in Boston’s South End while making their community a good place to live. They focus on the main street and side streets of the South End and are run by volunteers.
Andrew Malloy, the new director of Washington Gateway Main Street, was trying to think of a big event for the nonprofit while he found out that only 14% of the South End’s citizens had voted in a past election. Malloy has always been civically engaged, being a New Hampshire native who has since moved to the South End, and wanted to make the South End more involved in local elections.
Wanting to combine civic engagement with supporting local businesses, Malloy and other members of the board of Washington Gateway Main Street thought of an idea where local businesses gave out discounts or freebies to people who showed their “I voted” stickers on Election Day.
Called South End Businesses Get Out The Vote, this event hopes to show the collective power of businesses in the neighborhood while motivating the South End community to increase their civic involvement.
While there are other shops involved in this event, Malloy mentioned how eager the restaurants involved were to offer free items. One business told Malloy that they had done something similar before and “got a really positive response from customers.”
Since restaurants are more able to give out little freebies, there are loads of places in the South End that you can get a quick breakfast or an afternoon snack this Tuesday.
Here are the restaurants that are taking part in this event and what great freebies you can grab.
1. Blackbird Doughnuts
Described as “dangerously good” by Malloy, showing your “I voted” sticker at this local favorite at 492 Tremont Street will score you a free mini doughnut; talk about a sweet reward for voting.
2. Flour Bakery
While Flour bakery has grown into being one of the best in Boston, it’s hard to remember that this locally owned shop actually started out in the South End. To honor their roots, Flour is giving free small coffees to voters who come to their shops.
3. Formaggio Kitchen
This cheese, wine, and dessert shop is the best place to stop for an afternoon treat. Lucky for you, Formaggio Kitchen is offering a free Lakota cookie to those who show their “I voted” stickers so make sure you head over for a great snack at the end of the day.
4. Bar Mezzana
Even though this coastal Italian restaurant, found in the Ink Block of the South End, may not haven’t announced their promotion yet, with their killer menu it’s definitely going to be something delicious.
5. Fomu
Finding good vegan ice cream for cheap can be hard, but if you vote on Tuesday a free mini scoop from Fomu can be yours. Voting seems like a no brainer if you can get flavors like Chocolate Pudding and Bourbon Maple Walnut for free.
This is only a small offering of the businesses involved in South End Businesses Get Out The Vote, for a full list of businesses and the deals they’re offering, go to Washington Gateway Main Street’s page to see more details.