With temperatures rising and soon to be in the triple digits for 3 consecutive months, residents from around the valley are putting together their summer game plans while visitors are planning their summer vacations everywhere else except for the desert. Those of us who have survived the blazing summers know the drill – we stay inside, we get out of town, or we staycation. But how do our small downtown businesses survive? Some may have the luxury of closing for a month during the summer, while some may adjust to summer hours, but for many…the struggle is REAL. The reality is, many restaurants, bars and retail shops are empty – bustling streets turn into ghost towns, business is slooooooww, and a lot of employees lose hours.

So, what can we do to help? A lot of businesses do their part to try & lure us from our comfortably air-conditioned dwellings – provide misters (which are costly), adjust business hours to accommodate cooler temperatures, and offer killer specials. Is it too much to ask of us to support these businesses throughout their most desperate months? We don’t think so, which is why we’ll be steady mobbin’ all summer long – cash mobbin’ that is!

If you’ve never heard of a Cash Mob, it’s a fairly simple concept – you meet up with a group of people just like yourself…supporters of small business. You come with an Andrew Jackson in hand and the cash mob organizers let you know what business the group plans to mob. And then…you shop! Kiss your $20 goodbye and pat yourself on the back for doing a business a major solid. Sound like a plan?

We’ll keep you posted on our plans to mob businesses in Downtown Tempe in the coming weeks and ask that you consider joining us in our efforts to help business owners in Downtown Tempe survive the summer heat. As you are preparing for the upcoming months, stash some cash and be ready to get your mob on!