13-05-2025
Stretch Your Dollar: Earn cash back when shopping at Arlington County small businesses
ARLINGTON, Va. () — Shoppers can earn 5% cash back when shopping and dining at Arlington small businesses, thanks to the program.
Arlington Economic Development's BizNow partnered with Open Rewards to lure patrons to the county's small businesses. Shoppers can accrue cash back, which they can spend at other small businesses. Arlington isof municipalities nationwide participating in BluDot's Open Rewards program.
Mustafa Durran, owner of the newly opened Ravenna Pizza in Rosslyn, said the program's been a win for both his customers and his fledgling restaurant, which he long sought to bring to Arlington.
'I took my first bite of a Roman pizza slice and said, 'Omg, why don't we have this in the Arlington area?' he said. 'The crunch, the lightness, and the deliciousness.'
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The Wilson Boulevard joint also serves up homemade gelato. Durran said the menu's been a hit, drawing more than 1,000 people to enroll in Open Rewards. With the county's support and the public's appetite for fresh Italian offerings, he sees growth on the horizon.
'Think about it, any of the businesses, even the giants, at some point, they were babies, they were small businesses. So, any support goes a long way,' he noted.
Tara Palacious of BizNow said the initiative is injecting life into the local economy, generating $500,000 since its inception.
'With everything that's going on in the world and tariffs and these things happening and affecting our small businesses, we really love to support local,' she said. 'We love to be able to incentivize people to get a different experience.'
Businesses are automatically enrolled in the program and don't pay to participate. Business owners may also enroll in the program themselves.
Shoppers can begin earning cash back by downloading Open Rewards.
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