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EASTON – When Dottie Fulginiti was recently looking for a new place to eat, she opened the Discover Easton app on her phone.
“There are so many restaurants in town and we tend to patronize the same ones,†said Fulginiti, Chairman of the Board of Easton Select. “I looked at the app, browsed and picked a restaurant that I had never tried before – Ultimate Pizza. It was great.”
Ultimate Pizza is just one of 464 companies in the new Discover Easton app. The app, which became available last month, puts a directory of Easton businesses, events, leisure offerings, municipal services and more at your fingertips.
The Easton app was one of four funded by a $ 71,000 local Massachusetts Office of Business Development pilot grant to the Old Colony Planning Council. Avon, Brockton and Stoughton are also developing applications with the grant.
The state was seeking to provide immediate economic relief to communities, said Fulginiti, who works for the Old Colony Planning Council in helping communities recover and better resist COVID. The creation of an application contributes to this effort.
“I think the buy local campaign the state has been talking about is to remind people to support local businesses,†Fulginiti said. “The application offers a direct connection with local businesses, where to search for restaurants, information about the city.
“It helps people learn more about their community and spend money on businesses in their own city. “
Fulginiti said several Old Colony Planning Council member communities are interested in doing something similar to the city’s #EastonOutside campaign.
The #EastonOutside campaign launched in November 2020 to help local businesses weather the pandemic. Since then it has grown into a city / private partnership involving the City Economic Development Council and Easton Chamber to promote shopping, dining, recreation and culture.
Following:New app puts Easton businesses at your fingertips
Following:Here’s how #EastonOutside is helping local businesses during the COVID pandemic
“They liked #Easton Outside and the momentum of it,†said Fulginiti, praising the efforts of Marc Lamb, board member and chairman of the Economic Development Board.
The city is promoting the Discover Easton app on social media. Banners will soon be hung in the city and leaflets distributed. Lawn signs will also be available.
So far, nearly 500 people have downloaded the app, Fulginiti said.
“I’m happy with that,” she said. “We are getting very good feedback, especially from newcomers to the city. They are looking for things to do with their children and to do on the weekends.
The Old Colony Planning Council will maintain the application for a few months, then hand over administration to the four cities.
The app is funded for one year, at which point the city can determine whether it wants to continue funding it. The ongoing cost was not yet available, Fulginiti said.
The app also provides data analysis on how many people use it so the city can determine its usefulness, she said.
The business directory was created with assistance from the Easton and Metro South Chambers of Commerce.
If a business sees it’s listed on the app, it can get an ID to keep the information up to date, Fulginiti said. To do this, go to claim.mycivicapps.com.
“Let’s say Buddy’s Union Villa got login credentials,†she said. “They would be able to update their own information, like changing schedules or announcing a special offer.”
If you don’t see your business, send an email ListMyLocalBusiness@gmail.com for more information. If you see your business but don’t want it in the directory, also send an email to ListMyLocalBusiness@gmail.com.
The Discover Easton app is available for free download from the Apple or Google store.
Editor-in-Chief Donna Whitehead can be contacted by email at dwhitehead@wickedlocal.com. You can also friend on Facebook. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print version subscription to Journal News Independent today.
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