Written Vince Jackson, Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce

Northampton is a restaurant destination and boasts 100+ restaurants, bars, and other food service businesses. Across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, restaurants are a driving force in our state’s economy. They provide jobs and build careers for our neighbors, friends, and family members, and play a vital role in local communities throughout the state.

Based on reports from the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, restaurants created approximately 262,000 jobs statewide prior to the pandemic. However, an estimated 1 in 4 jobs have been lost in the restaurant sector due to the pandemic and approximately 21% of the state’s 16,000 restaurants have closed permanently since the pandemic. In Northampton and Florence, we’ve seen the closure of eight restaurants, many of which were decades-long favorites for residents and tourists alike. (It’s worth pointing out that seven new restaurants and cafes opened during the pandemic.) According to the City of Northampton, local meals tax receipts declined from $392,000 for the period July 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019 (the first six months of FY20) to $252,000 during the same period in 2020, a 36% drop in meals tax revenue.

These astonishing facts were not lost on the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) and the Downtown Northampton Association (DNA) who missions are to support the local economy and community and to create a vibrant downtown Northampton. The Economic Development Committee of the GNCC seized the opportunity to mobilize the entire community behind “413 Takeout” – a marketing campaign to support local restaurants through takeout orders during the height of the pandemic and statewide restrictions which included limited restaurant capacity for indoor dining, restricted hours of operation for businesses, stay-at-home advisories, and other limitations.

Just as the 413 Takeout campaign kicked off in February (2021), the Massachusetts Office of Business Development announced a Regional Pilot Grant Program to promote regional recovery from the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The GNCC and DNA applied for a Regional Pilot Grant to expand the program across the entire region in collaboration with eleven chambers throughout Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.

The new 413 Let’s Go Out campaign was launched on July 1 and will run through September 30. It amplifies the statewide “Let’s Go Out” campaign created to raise public awareness about the importance of supporting our local restaurants and the role they play in driving economic activity. 413 Let’s Go Out inspires foodies and residents in the 4-1-3 area code to take the pledge to help save our local restaurants. The pledge is to join with 4 friends and each order at least 1 restaurant meal per week for 3 months. To participate, individuals can go to a dedicated website (413letsgoout. com) and submit their name and email address, which makes them eligible to win one of 12 weekly $25 gift card giveaways.

The campaign is supported by a robust marketing plan that includes streaming TV ads, digital banner ads, radio spots, print ads, and social media, along with gift card prizes and giveaways from participating chambers and local restaurants. The 413letsgoout.com website also features a directory of restaurants affiliated with each participating chamber.