Fairfield Shop Owner, Customers Give $13K To Struggling Retailers

FAIRFIELD, CT — A local business owner is teaming up with his customers to raise thousands of dollars that will help keep fellow Fairfield retailers afloat during the state-ordered business closures intended to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

Parag Patel, the owner of Turnpike Spirit Shop, is inviting customers to round up the total of their purchases and put the change in a bucket to be donated to businesses that have had to close or limit operations. Some shoppers have given far more than just the dollar or two that would have come from rounding up, Patel said.

“It’s not a ton of money, but it’s more than nothing,” he said.

Patel also contributed 10 percent of his pre-tax sales to the effort during the week of March 20-27, when the mandated closures were first put in place. So far, more than $13,000 has been raised for businesses affected by the new coronavirus closures.

“I’m super proud and super happy that the entire community is coming together,” Patel said.

Gov. Ned Lamont this week extended to May 20 the order requiring all non-essential businesses to shutter their physical locations. As a liquor store, Turnpike Spirit Shop is considered an essential business by the state, whereas restaurants, gyms and salons have had to stop or limit their services amid the new coronavirus outbreak. The virus has infected more than 10,000 Connecticut residents and more than 400 patients who contracted the virus have died — including seven Fairfielders.

Restaurants like Little Pub, Puerto Vallerta and Taj Indian Cuisine and businesses such as CrossFit KMK and Salon ISA are among the many that have received donations from Patel and his customers to help cover rent and staff paychecks. Every two days Patel rotates which businesses get the bucket donations. He is giving mainly to businesses he frequents or that his customers suggest.

Patel will continue to keep the donation bucket at his checkout counter as long as businesses are affected by the virus. He said he hopes to see other retailers do the same for charities once they are allowed to reopen.

“I want to spread calm and positivity as fast as the virus spreads,” he said.

Turnpike Spirit Shop is located at 1838 Black Rock Turnpike. For more information about the business, visit www.facebook.com/Turnpikewines.