Shopping local just got easier!
A USF student recently launched a new monthly subscription service inspired by Tampa Bay.
It’s called BurgBox.
At 20 years old, Jamie Doerschuck started the business to support the city she lives in.
Each box contains up to seven randomly selected items made in Tampa and St. Pete.
Her first box in December sold out.
Fifty subscribers got things like a coffee cup designed by a local artist in Tampa or a t-shirt from Mazzaros Italian market in St. Pete.
And every month she’s finding new products.
“I'm going to at least three markets every weekend. I go and look around,” said Doerschuck. “What makes it fun, is that you know what brands are participating in the box, but you don't know what you're getting. So it’s like a Christmas surprise every month.”
On average, the boxes cost $40 per month, but what you are getting inside is valued at $70 or higher.
Naturally, you can cancel at any time, and the money you spend goes back to the community. Five percent of each box goes to a local charity like Pet Pal.
The exposure also helps Tampa Bay businesses.
Pinellas Chocolate was featured in the last box, and the business has already gained new customers.
“We've probably had one or two people come back and say, 'Hey, I heard of you guys,'” said owner Addam Vessa.
Doerschuck says she wants BurgBox to showcase what makes the city great, because without local makers, Tampa Bay would be just another “Anytown, USA”.
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