STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.
Just some of the local food that has been purchased by Tire Pro since the pandemic began. Photo Credit: Abe Braun Facebook page
By Shane Clausing
Community

Local tire shop helping promote local restaurants throughout pandemic

Jan 26, 2021 | 3:18 PM

A local Grande Prairie business is helping support locally owned restaurants struggling throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while also trying to help get the word out on social media.

Restaurants all across the world have been hit hard by the pandemic, with restrictions in place to the point, where many are only allowed to serve takeout meals only.

Abe Braun owns Tire Pro Inc. in Grande Prairie and tells EverythingGP that he’s been ordering lunch for his staff every day for the past 20 years.

When the initial lockdown from the pandemic hit in March, Braun says he emphasized the importance for supporting local businesses.

“We always try to support locally, but we’ve made a real point in trying to support local since (the pandemic). We plan on keep going that way, even if the doors do open for those people.

“We try to support local with not just our lunches, but everything else we do.”

Since restaurants were forced to shutter in-person dining, Braun has been posting pictures of the meals his company has purchased on community Facebook pages, highlighting and promoting some of the offerings the many local restaurants in the community offer.

Braun asked local companies to reach out with their information and menus. He then compiled a list of nearly 40 restaurants and decided that he’d support everyone on his list.

“We’re going through every one of them before we start over,” said Braun. “There are a few that aren’t open at lunchtime and unfortunately, that’s the only time we feed our people. So, there is quite a few locals we haven’t been able to get to yet, but once they open for lunch, we’ll be getting to them.”

As for why he buys his staff lunch every day, Braun says he wants many of his workers, who are younger, to feel supported.

“We have a bunch of young workers working for us here. Lots of times when you are young and renting, this may be their best meal of their day. We do pay them a decent wage as well, but I just decided over 20 years ago to start feeding them and it’s just been going on all these years. This way, everybody that works for us doesn’t go hungry during the day.”

While Braun feeds his employees meals, he hopes other business owners in the city will follow suit, so they can support the businesses that keep our community going.

by Shane Clausing