CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Watch them surprise local business with donations here:
The pandemic has forced some local restaurants to close. But Ricci Neer, owner of Comanche Corner Café in Corpus Christi, said her business is still open thanks to the good will of her customers, family, and friends.
“I didn’t know that it would go this long. I honestly didn’t think that if it did that we would have lasted this long,” said Owner of Comanche Corner Cafe Ricci Neer
With the holidays coming up, Neer says it’s hard to predict how her business will do especially with construction happening on Morgan Avenue. Neer says she reached out to friends and supporters for help.
“Because of the traffic and then you add the pandemic situation on top of it, it can be detrimental to our existence,” said Neer.
Kristoffer Busk, the executive chef & owner of Shoreline Sandwich Company in the Nueces County Courthouse said, he knows how local restaurants are struggling. So Busk took to Facebook to encourage friends to support local restaurants. He also posted a video asking people to donate money to help struggling restaurants.
“Trying to raise some money just to bring people. A little bit of cash to alleviate some of the stress with the holiday season coming up,” said Executive Chef & Owner of Shoreline Sandwich Company Kristoffer Busk.
Busk said for businesses in the downtown area, they only have 3 days this week and 3 days next week to sell.
“So it makes it difficult for people who are in businesses trying to you know trying to do 10 to 14 days worth of sales in 6 days it makes it virtually impossible to keep up,” said Busk.
Earlier in the year, Busk said the people of Corpus Christi helped him out when his wife went into labor early and their baby was in the hospital for 111 days.
Through the power of social media and a Go-Fund-Me account, the community was able to help pay the medical bills.
“Because they were so generous and I feel like, you know people fought for me earlier this year now it's my chance to kind of do the same,” said Busk.
Busk said he did not have a goal in mind but since posting his video he has raised just over $3000. Now he says his goal is to raise $10,000 to help 5 to 10 restaurants this week.