Flint, MI—A donation from Consumers Energy will allow shoppers to double gift card purchases of up to $50 at 28 Flint area restaurants and food-based businesses starting Nov. 29.

The $30k donation funds the “Our Town” initiative, a gift card matching program conducted in partnership with the Flint & Genesee Chamber as well as other chambers and downtown organizations across the state

“We’re excited to bring back this program during such a popular time of year for consumer spending,” said Andy Younger, executive director of the Flint & Genesee Chamber, in a press release.

Now in its third round of funding for the Flint area, prior promotions were also offered in February and April 2021.

“In both cases, all participating businesses sold out of their gift cards and received the matching funding through the program,” said Izzi Joseph, communications manager for the Flint & Genesee Group, in an email. “With the exception of a few businesses, most sold out within the first two weeks of the promotions–and some within the first few hours.”

Joseph said the Flint & Genesee Chamber “focused on” its restaurant and food-service members this round because such businesses did “especially well” with community members in the two prior rounds and because the chamber had a “short turnaround between being notified of the donation and putting everything into place.”

The “Our Town” program will run at each participating location, below, until the donated funds are depleted. According to the Flint & Genesee Group’s website gift cards must be purchased directly from the businesses to take part in the promotion.

  • 501 Bar and Grill
  • B-Dogs
  • Blackstone’s Smokehouse
  • Blondie’s Food & Spirits, INC
  • Churchill’s Food & Spirits
  • The Coffee Beanery, Ltd. (Miller Road location only)
  • Cork On Saginaw
  • Fenton Winery & Brewery
  • Fireside Coffee Co.
  • Flint Crepe Company
  • Flint Farmers’ Market
  • Great Harvest Bread Company
  • Hoffman’s Deco Deli & Cafe
  • Italia Gardens, Inc.
  • Luigi’s & El Toro Sports Bar
  • LaVilla Family Dining & Pizzeria
  • Little Caesars Pizza (Genesee County locations only)
  • Pesto’s
  • Redwood Steakhouse
  • Sagano Japanese Bistro & Steak House (Fenton and Flint locations only)
  • Sauce Italian American Kitchen
  • Semi-Sweets LLC 
  • Sherman’s Lounge
  • Soriano’s Mexican Kitchen
  • Starlite Diner, Coney Island and Catering
  • Steady Eddy’s at the Market
  • Sweets by Suzanne Marie (Call 248-515-9091 to purchase gift card)
  • Tenacity Brewing

Kate is Flint Beat's associate editor. She joined the team as a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues....