CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- "It’s a roller coaster."
That’s how Stan Dale, co-owner of La Bella Pizza Garden in Chula Vista, describes the past several months.
After more than six decades in business, he said coronavirus restrictions have made it harder and harder to keep going.
“There’s a lot of mom and pop places here," Dale said. "It's a really nice community, but I see it slipping away. The whole economy, in my opinion, is starting to falter so much that none of us are going to be around unless we do something here fairly quickly."
Supporting local businesses is the idea behind a new campaign launched by the city of Chula Vista. The effort dubbed "We Built THIS" is urging residents to consider shopping and eating out locally amid a year that has hit numerous industries hard during a global pandemic.
"These small businesses and entrepreneurs are at the core of everything good in our community," said Miranda Evans, an economic development specialist with the city.
Ahead of the holiday shopping season, the campaign — a follow-up to the 2018 advertising effort "THIS is Chula" — plans to highlight community assets and promote local ventures.
The social media-driven campaign is expected to last until mid-2021.
“From the constantly changing regulations and now the restrictions they’re facing being in the purple tier – it’s up to us as a community to come together and support safely -- to give these businesses support during a very difficult time," Evans said.
More information on "We Built THIS" is available online at explorechulavista.com.