'Wood Dale Dollars' boosting economic recovery for businesses, residents

Wood Dale's COVID-19 relief voucher program has seen $39,020 spent at village businesses since it began Dec. 4.

"Wood Dale Dollars" aims to drive customer traffic to local businesses and provide utility relief to residents.

Each residence in the village has received four coupons valued at $10 each that can be redeemed at participating businesses or applied as a direct savings to the resident's utility bill. Coupons also can be donated to the Wood Dale Food Bank.

Residents can apply all of the $40 total to one expense or spread it around. They will have until March 31 to use the coupons.

The village has dispersed roughly $200,000 worth of coupons via funds from the CARES Act.

To date, roughly $7,420 in coupons have been received for businesses -- mostly at restaurants -- and $31,600 has been received in utility payments. About $100 has gone to the food bank.

"This was started by the village board's desire to assist the community," marketing and special events administrator Grant Paplauskas said. "They figured this would be the best way to get aid directly to the village."

"Wood Dale Dollars" is one of many ways the village has been providing pandemic assistance, along with free vehicle stickers for residents, waiving occupancy fees and liquor licenses, and reimbursing restaurants and bars that had to rent or buy equipment in order to provide outdoor dining.

The village looked to the "Itasca Bucks" program as a model for "Wood Dale Dollars." Itasca extended its program for another six months as a result of its popularity.

Restaurants such as Marino's Pizzeria & Italian Cafe and Christy's Restaurant & Pancake House have seen customers redeem $4,500 and $3,000 in "Wood Dale Dollars" coupons, respectively.

"It's nice to see the village do something like this," Marino's manager Mike Palapino said. "It's helped us in keeping our current customers and even helped us see some new faces too."

Other participating businesses include 7-Eleven, Bentley's Pancake House, Dairy Queen, Domino's Pizza, Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robins in Wood Dale, JBs Inn, Juan Y Yo Taco Grill, La Michoacana Supreme, Local Bar & Grille, New China Pearl, Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Wood Dale, Taco Bell, Taco Tuesday, Taqueria Azteca, The Pizza Kitchen, Thornwood, Tomczak's Tap, True Cuisine Catering for Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue of Wood Dale, U Gazdy, White Cottage Pizza, Woody's Sport Bar, and Yue Sun Japanese Steak House.