Business News - December 31

I hope everyone enjoyed the winter holidays and taking a break to spend time with loved ones. If you have big plans (personally or professionally) for the New Year, please be safe!

Today’s Top Three:

• Register for Restaurant Week!

• Our next Retail & Restaurant Meeting is slated for January 16th.

• DRI is closed today and Wednesday in observance of the holiday.

Bonus: We’ve crafted a To-Do List for your small business in the New Year.

Keep reading to stay informed!  

- Joya Garris, Community Engagement and Communications Manager

Stay Informed

Important: Downtown Gift Cards 💳️

We’ve seen a significant increase in gift card sales and usage throughout December. A few customers ran into issues when trying to redeem their cards last week. Please make sure your staff is up to date on whether your location accepts Downtown Roanoke gift cards and how to properly run them.

Reminders:

• Run the card as you would a credit card.

• The card will decline if you try to run it for an amount higher than the gift card balance.

• A DRI staff member must stop by and complete the setup process each time you update or change your POS.

Ambassador Updates 📝

Thank You!

We would like to extend a big thank you to all of the businesses who shared some holiday cheer with our Downtown Roanoke Ambassador Team! You helped brighten their days and made them feel appreciated.

Thanks Boxwood Lane, Artsy June Mercantile, The French Farmhouse, Greene Memorial United Methodist Church, Billy's, and The Little Gallery.

Ambassador of the Year

Help us congratulate Chance on being selected as Ambassador of the Year! We truly appreciate all of his hard work making downtown shine. Show him some love on the Ambassadors’ Facebook Page.

Sorry, We’re Closed! 🚫 

DRI’s office will be closed today, December 31st, and tomorrow, January 1st, in observance of the holiday. We will reopen on Thursday, January 2nd.

Got Your Passports?

Attention Participants!

We’ve ordered 1,500 additional passports for The Elf on the Shelf Adventure® in Downtown Roanoke. The event runs through January 6th, so please let Will Terry from our Ambassador Program know if you need more passports while DRI is closed. You may also print copies of the passport if needed.

New Year, New Goals 🎊

Kick-off 2025 the right way! We’ve crafted a New Year To-Do List for business owners. You can complete a few items now, but some will require more effort.

• Set your business goals for the year

• Set attainable goals for employees

• Update your website

• Create a new social media strategy

• Launch new products, services, and/or food items

• Update your employee handbook

• Review your business finances— evaluate and adjust as needed

• Foster a positive work culture (you may need to gather employee feedback)

• Update your internal calendar (don’t forget to include important dates and holidays)

• Gather customer feedback and implement changes

Get Involved

Register for Restaurant Week 🍔 

Gain Knowledge & Network

Retail & Restaurant Meeting 💻️ 

Let’s start the new year strong— join us for our next Retail & Restaurant Meeting on Thursday, January 16th at 8:30am and 3:30pm via Zoom! Keep your eyes peeled for an agenda as we approach mid-January.

Is there an item you’d like us to discuss? Hit reply on this email to let us know!

Taxes, Privacy, and You: Industry Discussion

January 28, 2025 | 1pm – 2pm

Taxes and privacy are major issues impacting the advertising and marketing industry in 2025. From new regulations to ensuring that our collective voice is heard on major issues, AAF Executive Vice President of Government Affairs Clark Rector will cover what’s happening in Washington, DC, and how it trickles into local businesses every day.

Join AAF Roanoke at the Roanoke Higher Education Center for an insightful discussion on the future of the advertising and marketing industry. This talk is important to everyone connected to advertising and marketing, whether you work at an agency, in-house, as a freelancer, or at a media organization. Members and non-members are invited to attend.

Events, Street Closures, & Parking

Downtown Events and Street Closures 🚧

The following street closures and associated events may affect Downtown traffic and business for the week of December 30 - January 5.

• Straight Street Youth Night on Friday, 1/3 & Saturday, 1/4 from 4pm - 11pm

  Closure: Luck Ave between 3rd St and 4th St

• Climate Crisis Series on Saturday, 1/4 on the sidewalk in front of the City Market Building

Check out our Event Calendar for a full list of events.

Find Downtown Parking 🅿️

With more than 1,300 on-street spaces and 7,000+ off-street spaces, plenty of free or paid parking options exist.

Parking Information

DRI - Your Downtown Partner

Put DRI to work for you! 💼

Our mission is to make Downtown Roanoke the preferred place to Work, Live, and Play. As a Downtown business, you have a valuable FREE resource at your fingertips. Let us help share your story!

Website Listings on DowntownRoanoke.org - Our business listings often come up among the first in Google searches. Help us enhance your listing by providing us with vital information including website, phone number, description, hours, menus, and images.

Fill out the form.

Job Listings on DowntownRoanoke.org - Downtown Roanoke is the most vibrant workplace around and a destination for job seekers. Let us help get the word out when you’re hiring!

Submit a job listing here.

Event Listings on DowntownRoanoke.org - Our Event Calendar is THE place people go to find out what’s happening Downtown. Get your event in front of the audience you’re looking for.

Submit an event here.

Important Contacts 👤

Often businesses need phone numbers for government services, such as solid waste, permitting, etc., and other services, such as private parking and transportation.

Check out our list of frequently requested information!

Important Contacts