Gift Card Program Launched After Downtown Jacksonville Visits Drop By More Than Half

Downtown Vision is hoping to help jump-start some commerce for Downtown Jacksonville businesses hit hard by the pandemic with a new gift card program.

“Unfortunately, today we’re seeing less than half of the average daily visits we saw in Downtown pre-COVID. Now more than ever, this program is an important way to support our businesses and to give back to the Downtown community,” said Downtown Vision CEO Jake Gordon in an email to WJCT News.

As an incentive to get people back Downtown, Downtown Vision is launching #DTJax e-gift cards with bonus gifts. E-gift cards can be redeemed at 26 Downtown businesses (see list at bottom of this story), including restaurants, bars, shops and entertainment venues.

The bonus gifts range from $5 with a $25 gift card purchase to $50 with a $200 gift card purchase.

“Local businesses are the heart of Downtown and great for our local economy” said Gordon.

Forty-eight percent of each purchase at local independent businesses is recirculated locally, compared to less than 14% of purchases at chain stores, according to Downtown Vision, which cited the statistic from the American Independent Business Alliance.

The gift cards can be used at these Urban Core merchants:

1. Arepa Please, 474 Riverside Ave.
2. Bellwether, 100 N. Laura St.
3. Bold City Brewery Downtown, 109 E. Bay St.
4. Chamblin's Uptown & Cafe, 215 N. Laura St.
5. Cowford Chophouse, 101 E. Bay St.
6. Gili's Kitchen,126 W. Adams St.
7. Grenville Kitchen,311 W. Ashley St.
8. Happy Grilled Cheese, 219 N. Hogan St.
9. Intuition Ale Works, 929 E. Bay St.
10. Jax Rides Electric Fat-Tire Bike Tours
11. Jumpin' Jax House of Food, 20 W. Adams St.
12. Maddy D's, 440 W. Adams St.
13. Manifest Distilling, 960 E. Forsyth St.
14. MOSH - Museum of Science and History, 1025 Museum Cir.
15. Olio, 301 E. Bay St.
16. Quizno's Subs, 224 N. Hogan St.
17. Southlight Gallery, 1 Independent Dr.
18. Super Food & Brew, 11 E Forsyth St.
19. Sweet Pete's Candy Co., 400 N. Hogan St.
20. The Brick Coffee House, 214 N. Hogan St.
21. The Florida Theatre Box Office, 128 E Forsyth St
22. The Pita Pit, 491 W. Forsyth St.
23. The Volstead, 115 W. Adams St.
24. Village Bread Cafe, 1301 C-102 Riverplace Blvd.
25. Wolf & Cub, 205 N. Laura St.
26. Zodiac Bar & Grill, 120 W. Adams St.

The cards can be purchased at DowntownJacksonville.org/e-giftcard.

Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.