‘Liberty for All’ Campaign Sees Business Owners Collaborate
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — In an effort to drive business to Liberty Township, business owners along the Belmont Avenue thoroughfare are launching the Liberty for All campaign.
The collaborative marketing campaign shares resources, boosts promotional efforts and calls on Mahoning Valley residents to rediscover and patronize the businesses in Liberty Township, the group said in an announcement. The Belmont Avenue business corridor is home to a number of diverse and family-owned businesses who say “When you shop here, you are supporting your neighbor.”
“Small business owners need to be stubborn, clever and adaptable,” said Jack Kravitz, president of Kravitz Delicatessen, 3135 Belmont Ave. He points out that his mother moved the business to its current location more than 50 years ago because of its important north-south accessibility. “We are resolved to survive this, too, but we can only do it if the community supports this type of shop local initiative.”
Accessible from Interstate 80, the state Route 711 connector and state Route 11, Liberty Township provides a stopping point for shoppers, diners and visitors. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the hotels, restaurants and retail locations along the thoroughfare.
The campaign promotes a number of reasons why the township is a destination for shopping local. For international foods, customers can visit, Kravitz Deli, The Jerusalem Market at 3033 Belmont Ave. or Jimmy’s Italian Specialties, 3230 Belmont Ave., according to the release.
Restaurants include Station Square, 4250 Belmont Ave., Golden Hunan, 3309 Belmont Ave., El Jalapeno, 4055 Belmont Ave., and K’nafa, 3129 Belmont Ave., all of which offer safe in-person dining and take-out options. For value-minded shoppers, the campaign touts the area’s largest Goodwill store at 2747 Belmont Ave., as well as Racks Consignment, 3800 Belmont Ave.
For retail items, the group recommends the hand-crafted soaps and personal care items at BodyGoodies, 4501 Belmont Ave., or the personally compounded prescriptions at Allen’s PharmaServ, located at 520 Gypsy Lane.
“I commend these businesses for showing their resolve in the face of the adversity,” said Arnold Clebone, Liberty Township Trustee. “With Belmont Avenue being a corridor to the region’s most prominent destinations, its wellbeing is essential not only to our Township but also the attractiveness and prosperity of the Mahoning Valley.”
Greg Cizmar, another Liberty Trustee explained, “When you shop in Liberty, you are not just keeping the local economy alive, you are resurrecting the Main Street way of doing business. You’ll be spending time with business owners who greet you by name and where your money matters – plus your dollars stay in the regional economy and take care of your neighbors.”
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
