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Bowling Green working creatively to help local businesses

The City of Bowling Green is teaming with its local shops to find creative, safe ways to boost business.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Newly reopened businesses are adapting to survive and attract customers. The City of Bowling Green is working closely with owners to make that easier, coming up with creative ways to attract customers while keeping them safe.

Bowling Green has been helping local businesses know about all of the resources available to help them like loans and financial assistance programs. But the city also has been helping to make creative ways to support the businesses.

"We modified our sign requirements so that allowed businesses in Bowling Green to display more signs, bigger signs, more prominently," Bowling Green Mayor Mike Aspacher said, "with no fees associated with that."

Before the coronavirus, the back of Grounds for Thought coffee shop was just for parking but now with help from the city, it's an outdoor seating area.

 After the city announced it would make available unused picnic tables from its parks for businesses to use, the shop took advantage by turning its rear parking into an outdoor seating area.

"We at Grounds had heard that tables would be available, extras from the park district," shop co-owner Kelly Wicks said. "We reached out and here we do, we have six tables in conjunction with the city, which is fantastic."

It's not just the city, but businesses are helping one another as well. Wicks is helping his neighboring businesses including Naslada Bistro to also create an outdoor seating area.

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