Lowe's premieres "Night at the Movies" to help local small businesses

Maureen Rich Wallace

Staff Writer

Jul 21, 2020

Lowe’s undertook its own DIY project recently when the home improvement retailer premiered Lowe’s Night at the Movies. Using a Lowe’s store’s ample parking lot, Lowe’s hosted drive-in movie events to benefit local small businesses impacted by COVID-19 in its hometown area, Charlotte, North Carolina. Over the course of two evenings, family favorites, “The Secret Life of Pets” and “The Pursuit of Happyness" were presented.

While the event was free to attend, participants were invited to donate if they chose. Lowe’s matched all donations two-to-one up to $50,000 to benefit the Charlotte affiliate of the nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), as another way to give a big boost to small businesses. 

Lowe’s has now more than doubled its original commitment to LISC. In all, $55 million in grants will go to minority- and women-owned small businesses, including a portion to rural small businesses facing financial impacts as the pandemic continues to spike nationally. 

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For Charlotte caterer Andarrio Johnson, a Lowe’s LISC grant means the difference between struggling to keep his business afloat through the pandemic or doing something he had only dreamed of doing: expanding!

Andarrio applied for a Lowe’s LISC grant after the company announced a June $25 million grant would provide much-needed relief to minority- and women-owned businesses. When COVID-19 began, Andarrio’s catering business declined as clients quickly began to cancel wedding and corporate events. To make ends meet, he began working as a personal chef and applied for a grant to help sustain his business. Andarrio was awarded $20,000 and plans to get his own kitchen facility in University City and hire an employee. 

But Andarrio didn’t just sit back while his business began to suffer. Instead, Andarrio has worked to provide free grab-and-go lunches for local children in partnership with Cuzzo’s Kitchen, where he currently shares a kitchen space.

"Since March when the kids were out of school, we've been feeding the kids Tuesday through Friday," Johnson said. "We just wanted to give back to the community somehow -- do something for these kids. When I was their age, I had free lunch and I was grateful for it. This was something I could do to give back and see smiles on their faces."

To learn more about Lowe’s Night at the Movies and how Lowe’s LISC partnership has helped Charlotte Chef Andarrio Johnson, check out the video below.

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