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New curbside pick-up zones
Winter Park and Orlando have created curbside pick-up zones to help boost businesses at restaurants and shops.
WINTER PARK, Fla. - Park Avenue clothing shop owner Tuni Blackwelder is committed to surviving these hard times.
“It’s been challenging, I think in one word, that sums it up,” said Blackwelder, co-owner of Tuni Winter Park. “We’re gonna work this thing, we’re gonna work it hard. We’re gonna find new avenues and new ways of keeping business and bringing business, and that has been our philosophy.”
The City of Winter Park is getting creative to help small businesses attract customers. It has rolled out a network of curbside areas where people can pick-up food or store orders.
You simply call in or place your order online, be it food or merchandise. Once you arrive, you’ll have a parking spot to pull into and the restaurant or shop will bring out your order.
“It’s really going to be helpful for all the businesses,” said Karphik Palpanpi, chef, Mynt Fine Indian Cuisine.
It’s all about boosting business by giving people the option of dining and shopping at their comfort level.
“I think that in the COVID environment and this pandemic times, we have to be creative and we have to show grace and allow people to do things that make it just easier for them to be comfortable,” said Ellen Arnold, Park Avenue customer.
Business owners we spoke to are hopeful the pick-up zones will help them recover.
“That’s really good for us. Most of the customers, they don’t want to come inside,” Palpanpi said.
“For the customer on Park Avenue to be able to just slide on in and park and we run out and drop off whatever they’ve chosen, it’s certainly an asset and been a big plus for us,” Blackwelder said.
Dozens of kiosks are now in place in six different business hotspots around Winter Park.
“We’re so happy the city is behind us and they’re coming through with some great ideas,” Blackwelder said.
Similar pick-up spots have been popping up in Downtown Orlando as well.