After the last bite of turkey is gobbled up this Thanksgiving, shopping for many people in San Luis Obispo County will get underway.
Not only are small businesses offering special deals and discounts but a Downtown SLO shopping passport gives consumers the opportunity to score some gift cards.
About 40 businesses are participating in the Small Business Saturday shopping event, according to Downtown SLO CEO Bettina Swigger.
People who collect stamps in their "passport" from at least eight shops can submit the document at one of four Downtown locations for a chance to win gift cards.
One of the dozens of shops participating in the event is making cookies by the dozen to keep up with increased demand.
"It's keeping us busy, keeping us on our toes," Brown Butter Cookie Company Owner Christa Hozie said of the holiday shopping season."Right now we're rolling about 7,000 cookies each day."
With the recent addition of a third location in downtown San Luis Obispo, cookies are flying off the shelves.
"It's something that you can give that's from the Central Coast and handmade on the Central Coast," Hozie said.
Hozie owns the business, which has locations in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles and Cayucos, with her sister. Together they employ about 70 people and bake their cookies in Cayucos.
Swigger said shopping local at places like Brown Butter Cookie Company is about more than just bolstering the local economy.
"Downtown business owners are our friends and neighbors," Swigger said.
Swigger wants consumers to keep small businesses in mind this holiday shopping season, which is why Downtown SLO created the shopping passport incentive.
"What we're really trying to do here is get people to explore stores they maybe haven't visited before," Swigger said.
Exploring new shops shouldn't be too difficult, Swigger said, considering Downtown San Luis Obispo has added 32 new businesses since January.
"22 of those are locally owned," Swigger said. "We support local business and understand the value they bring through local sales tax contribution and just being civic partners in our economic environment."
You can print out your shopping passport here.
The Downtown trolley will be running Saturday and city bus rides to the Downtown area will be free.
