Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Businesses across Craighead County are gearing up for Small Business Saturday, a nationwide annual event encouraging patrons to shop small this holiday season.
Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010 as a day to support local businesses. It was the catalyst for the Shop Small movement, which encourages consumers to patronize small businesses. According to a report from American Express, small business owners estimate nearly 20 percent of their annual revenue will come from this year’s Small Business Saturday sales.
Mark Young, president and CEO of the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce and Jonesboro Unlimited, said the day is incredibly important for local businesses.
“If you think about the number of small businesses that we have and great businesses that we have here in Jonesboro, it’s an opportunity for us to remember and to think about how important they are to the community, the lifeblood of the community, the economy of Jonesboro,” he said.
Young added that the holiday shopping season, of which Small Business Saturday is included, results in an uptick of revenue for local businesses.
“November and December usually are extremely positive months for the community, and so that continues as part of that, not just Small Business Saturday, but the entire shopping and holiday season,” he said.
Downtown Jonesboro Alliance (DJA) executive director Sarah Doss said Small Business Saturday is a way for the organization to encourage patrons to shop local. One way the DJA has worked to encourage downtown shopping is the Culinary Crawl, which it launched in 2024.
The event is a progressive dinner in which participants will try an appetizer, entree, dessert, and beverage from four different downtown restaurants. Tickets are on sale until noon on Friday, Nov. 28, and can be purchased here.
“If you are downtown all the time, it’s great for you because our restaurants have curated special menus for the event,” Doss said. “If you’ve never been downtown, it’s great for you too, because you can come and see we have such a diverse and well-rounded food scene downtown.”
The 2025 Culinary Crawl will be on Saturday, Nov. 29, from 5 to 9 p.m.
For those looking for Small Business Saturday deals, Young and Doss encouraged people to check their respective organizations’ social media pages. Young also encouraged people to check the social media pages of their favorite local businesses.
Jackson Spencer, co-owner and operator of Native Brew Works, said that while the restaurant will not be running any special deals, it is still an important day for the business. Native Brew Works is located 515 S. Gee St.
“It’s an important day for all small local businesses, but us, being a small local business, it is a big day for us. It’s a big weekend all around,” Spencer said. “We’re always super appreciative of customers coming out and choosing us over the chain restaurants.”
Click here for the official Chamber of Commerce Facebook page, and here for the DJA Facebook page.