Downtown Tyler Businesses Need Us Now More Than Ever

(KNUE-FM) Calling all Tyler area residents who want to support our locally-owned businesses, we need your help!

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Downtown Tyler, as you are likely aware, is going through an incredible transformation. Having seen the ultimate plan, once it's finished, we imagine it will be a fantastic place to be, both for business owners and the public. In the meantime, though, the demolition and construction process has been an extraordinary undertaking, and watching the transformation is stunning to behold. It's also made doing business quite a bit more challenging for our downtown Tyler businesses.

A Beautiful Vision Comes With Growing Pains

Business hasn't been great, according to several business owners who've commented on social media, including Lance McWhorter, Executive Chef/Owner at Heritage East at Culture ETX. Perhaps that isn't incredibly surprising. Some people have shared that they've avoided the area during the transformation because they haven't been sure about the parking situation and accessibility issues in general. One person even said they'd imagined some businesses may not even be open in the meantime.

Local Voices Are Rallying Support for the Square

Over the last week or so, it's been helpful and encouraging to see that more people have been posting to encourage Tyler and East Texas residents to continue showing their support for our downtown Tyler businesses. Times are tough enough as it is, and they need all the business we can give them. I'm trying to imagine how incredibly vexing it must be to struggle with that, especially given the stressful situation they're already dealing with.

READ MORE: A Tyler Woman’s Post About a Young Man’s Act of Kindness Is Warming Hearts

A couple of dear friends, Sonia Semone, who owns and operates Eat Travel Repeat, an account focused on promoting local restaurants and points of interest in East Texas, and another, Nick Calidad, who is a local business owner at Calidad Coffee Company, posted a fun and thoughtful video to encourage people to support downtown businesses.

One Tyler Resident Says It Best — “Let’s Go, Tyler!”

One Tyler area woman, Kathy Kremer Burns, posted on Tyler, Texas Rants, Raves and Recommendations V2.0,  that while it's been frustrating trying to navigate the downtown area in the midst of this enormous change, she still encourages everyone to support downtown Tyler businesses, and showed empathy with this thought:

"I can only imagine what a nightmare it is for these restaurants while they traverse through limbo. Each day must be a guessing game for what the day will bring—ordering food and supplies, while trying to hang on to their good employees, who may jump ship, as many rely on their tips to supplement their income.

Or, the owners may have to reduce or let staff go. Not to mention their obvious monthly bills. For the record, I am just a Tyler resident who loves the thought and ambiance of having a bustling downtown square and hopes to see it flourish in every way.

Looking forward to the endgame. In the meantime, I hope you join me downtown.

Let's go, Tyler!"

Every Purchase Matters Right Now

Please, please, please go downtown and eat and shop! The businesses on the square in downtown Tyler are some of the most beloved in town. This is what it means to be a community, and that's one of the things East Texas does best.