Cahaba Heights businesses step up to help each other

While Deck the Heights is a fun tradition for those in the Cahaba Heights area, including area businesses, it takes money to do it, business owner Katherine McRee said.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize how much financially goes into it,” McRee said.

The event, which was Nov. 21, cost a little more than $9,000 to put on, and each participating business is asked to help with the finances and pay a sponsor fee to be part of the event, which takes guests around on trolleys to different businesses. The businesses usually have sales or special offers, along with other fun, family-friendly activities in and around Heights Village.

While that usually isn’t a problem, some businesses have had a rough 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, McRee said. Some businesses weren’t going to be able to contribute, but thanks to the generosity of other businesses that chipped in to cover the total cost, all businesses wishing to participate will be able to do so, she said.

That help came in varying amounts, with some businesses sending in an extra $1,000 to cover the cost for other businesses, and others giving $100, $500 or even $2,000, McRee said.

Five or six businesses were so affected by COVID-19 that they would not have been able to participate, she said.

That kind of attitude is part of the community, reflected not only in the relationships between businesses, but between customers and businesses, with the former making sure many of the businesses in Cahaba Heights stay open. While they still need some help, McRee said businesses have felt the love from their community.

“It just shows more of the community spirit,” McRee said. “It’s why our sales taxes are up. Everyone lifted each other up. … It gives me hope that there really still are … inherently good people.”

McRee said she is aware of only one business in Cahaba Heights that has closed recently, and that was Pizza Hut. No small businesses had closed as of mid-November, she said.

Being part of Deck the Heights is helpful for businesses because it brings them much-needed exposure, McRee said. Foot and trolley traffic often leads to major sales for businesses on the night of the event, and businesses always have shown a desire to give back to the community, she said.

In addition to helping the brick-and-mortar businesses in Cahaba Heights, this year’s edition of the event also featured mobile businesses, allowing them to have a space to sell their product and be involved in the community, McRee said.

It also helped that Gov. Kay Ivey loosened some restrictions on the number of people allowed in retail businesses, McRee said. She’s hopeful that will continue into the future.

Speaking ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, McRee said she was “very nervous” how Black Friday would go. That is normally the time of year where businesses, especially small businesses, move themselves into a profit for the year.