The first Cash Mob is scheduled at Legends Bar & Grill on Tuesday, April 27.

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

Eased pandemic restrictions have begun to bring customers back to Moorhead’s eateries, says Mayor Shelly Carlson – “but they’re still hurting. This is a way to support our Moorhead restaurants with an influx of cash … and love.”

Her brainstorm is a biweekly “Cash Mob.” Based on the popular flash mobs that bring strangers together for a moment of music and celebration, the Cash Mob is intended to draw supporters to a different establishment every two weeks for a quick infusion of business – eating in, ordering take-out or delivery, purchasing gift cards and otherwise turning an ordinary Tuesday into a red-letter occasion.

The mayor heard about the idea from a friend in a Milwaukee suburb where locals seized on the notion to make a difference for businesses battered by the pandemic.

The first is planned for Tuesday, April 27, at Legends Bar & Grill on the south side. “After that, we’ll go down the list,” she says, with cash mob days scheduled following the city council’s twice-monthly meetings. She invites residents to email or message her with who they’d like to see featured next.

“You can think of it as a sort of Covid kickstarter,” Carlson says. “Moorhead people love to support our food and drink businesses. They stepped up to support us in many ways over the past year, and this is a chance to give back.

“After all, our restaurants give Moorhead its special flavor.”