Our community and businesses are #SLOready to welcome you, but we also want you to know that the health and safety of our residents and visitors is of utmost importance to us. The City of San Luis Obispo has taken numerous steps to ensure that your time in SLO is spent exploring the many offerings with confidence and ease. As the State’s order dictated, face coverings while out in public both indoors and outdoors are a must. The good news: if you forgot yours at home, there are plenty of local shops selling unique and handmade designs. So pick one up, follow health and safety guidance — like practicing social distancing and washing your hands often — and come explore SLO! We’re #SLOReady to see you.
Support Local
There are so many ways to support our local business and more than ever, where you spend your dollars matter. Our community and small businesses are counting on us to show up for them through this challenging time. Small businesses are the heartbeat of our community and are what make SLO truly special.
You might not realize it, but every time you get coffee from your neighborhood cafe or buy a gift from the local gallery down the street, you’re shopping small and making a big difference. In fact, for every dollar spent at a small business in the U.S., approximately 67 cents stay in the local community. Our small businesses are #SLOready to see you again, whether virtually or in-person. Together, we can help keep our community vibrant!
Not sure where to start? The City created two virtual maps with updated hours and services, one for restaurants and another for retail. You can shop online, order take-out or, if you feel like heading into town, parking at all 10-hour meters and in the three parking structures are currently free!
Open SLO
Additionally, San Luis Obispo has a new program called Open SLO which allows restaurants, shops, salons and many other businesses to activate outdoor space. You could even say that San Luis Obispo was made for outdoor experiences. With an average of 315 days of sunshine a year, SLO is the perfect place to enjoy al fresco dining and shopping. So pack up your household and spend the afternoon in Mission Plaza for Downtown Dine Out or grab a coffee and peruse the different shops that have expanded their browsing into the street.
#SLOready Social Media Challenge
We want to see how you support local and are #SLOready! Take the #SLOready Social Media Challenge and show SLO your love. Here’s the scoop: through the month of August, post different photos of yourself safely enjoying and exploring SLO. At the end of the month, we’ll pick one lucky winner who will receive an amazing staycation for two! We know these last months have been stressful, which is why we wanted to give you the chance to win a relaxing and rejuvenating holiday — right here at home and without the plane trip or the price tag. All you have to do is get out there, support our community and make sure to document it. This is what we call a win-win!
Check out more details (and the rules) here. Have fun and feel free to get creative — but please make sure to wear your mask and practice social distancing while doing so. Oh, and good luck!