WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A West Palm Beach small business owner is getting creative to help compensate for revenue lost during the pandemic.
Kristl Story, the founder of West Palm Beach Food Tours, is partnering with other local business owners to deliver a taste of the Palm Beaches.
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"Everything we serve them, every restaurant we take them to, has a purpose," Story said. "Every bite is going to tell a story."
Last year was her best year yet until the COVID-19 pandemic cut the tour short in 2020.
"I think when this all initially happened, and I refunded those 513 tickets, that was a big hit, but in my mind, I thought, 'OK, we are going to lockdown and another month or so everything is going to be fine and be back to normal,' and here we are seven months later," Story said.
So, she started to think outside the box.
"I created a box, which is essentially a food tour in a box," she said.
It's called a "Box of Sunshine" and filled with local treats from local businesses.
For Jamal Lake, the owner of Ganache Bakery, it is the perfect partnership.
"Small businesses could come together and make a great impact in the community," Lake said.
The gift box includes a virtual key-lime pie baking class.
For these two business owners, the box represents a recipe for success.
"It kind of brought us together and slowed us down a little bit," Lake said.
"You're helping the local bakery, the local coffee shop, our local beekeeper, so that's what it's kind of all about," Story said.