Sacramento’s Comeback

Our Comeback Must Be Stronger Than Our Setback

By Michael Ault

When we are confronted with the unexpected or the unimaginable, it can feel impossible to look past the here and now. As the COVID-19 health crisis continues to spread, the world has changed dramatically. Yet, through it all, there have been beautiful examples of our community pulling together and picking up the pieces.

Sacramento is America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital. We built this designation with the hard work, creativity, and ingenuity of our many restaurants and businesses. Innovation has been the key to building and sustaining our economy during “normal” times and now, more than ever, we must to use our imagination and determination to find a new path forward.

We are no stranger to self-sufficiency. Incredibly, many of the same businesses who are struggling right now are looking for ways to support others. A few examples: Empress Tavern are offering meals for hospitality workers who lost their jobs, Roots Coffee is matching donations made for first responders, and Camden Spit & Larder is providing meals for those working at the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency and so many others. These are just a few of the examples of selflessness that bring our community together, even while staying six feet apart.

The undeniable dedication, work ethic, and desire to help our community are engraved in the roots of our community. Looking back at the difficult times we survived a decade ago, this is the time to let those same values guide us forward.

We cannot let our fear get in the way. We must be courageous. After all we are the city that has in the past battled catastrophic fires, floods, and epidemics to become the capital of a state that is today the world’s fifth largest economy.

Our community must remain strong and resilient, and we will persevere by supporting our local small businesses and each other. Their owners put their energy, sweat and treasure into creating their business ventures. This is our opportunity to let them know how important they are to us, because the comeback will need to be much stronger than the setback.

Michael T. Ault is the Executive Director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. To learn about how you can support Sacramento’s small businesses, visit GoDowntownSac.com.