Community Corner

Shop Local and Save with Unwrap Lincoln Square and Ravenswood

Unwrap Lincoln Square and Ravenswood encourages shoppers to keep your money in the community and rewards you with a chance for a $50 rebate.

By Laura L. Calderone

Unwrap Lincoln Square and Ravenswood, a campaign that promotes local businesses during the holiday season, is in full swing.

The first 170 people who spend a total of at least $300 at a minimum of three different participating establishments will get a $50 rebate voucher. Customers should submit their receipts to the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce to receive the rebate, which can be applied to local restaurants.

Find out what's happening in Lincoln Squarewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Unwrap kicked-off Saturday with a tree-lighting ceremony in Lincoln Square’s Giddings Plaza. It is the second year the chamber has participated in the campaign, that encourages residents to spend money locally. The campaign is in connection with Local First Chicago’s Unwrap Chicago.

Rudy Flores, executive director at the chamber, said this year he anticipates more participation because of last year’s success and a stronger marketing campaign.

Find out what's happening in Lincoln Squarewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We didn’t really know what to expect, since it was our first year,” Flores said. “We ended up collecting around $45,000 worth of receipts. We were excited about that. We are hoping to hit $55,000 this year.”

Unwrap, and similar campaigns, are vital for the whole neighborhood, Flores said.

“When you’re shopping at independent retailers or businesses, the money tends to stay in the community,” Flores said. He said he finds that local businesses tend to network more within the area and support other local businesses.

Carol Himmel co-owns Himmel’s restaurant with her sister, Diane Himmel. They agreed that sponsoring the event this year was important to them as residents and local business-owners.

”We were born and raised in this community,” Carol Himmel said. “We do everything that we possibly can to contribute back to it and keep the camaraderie going between the businesses.”

Kate Merena, owner of Sacred Art, said the decision to participate was easy.

“We are looking to keep the money in the community, not only for us, but for those living in the neighborhood,” Merena said.

Mary Winn Hider, 35, said she enjoys shopping locally and supporting her community. Hider was out for the first day the campaign with her brother, Paul Hider, at the Savory Spice Shop in Lincoln Square.

David Trout, 44, owns Savory Spice Shop, which opened in September. He hopes the campaign will boost sales during the holidays. Trout said he wanted to participate in an effort to support the chamber and community.

“We are supportive of their efforts to support local business,” Trout said.

Trout recommended that customers submit their receipts quickly before eligibility runs out.

Unwrap Lincoln Square and Ravenswood will continue through Tuesday, December 24. Residents who want to receive the rebate should send their receipts to the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, 2611 West Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here