As part of a broader initiative to help businesses trying to scrape by during the pandemic, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo today announced a new campaign dubbed #ShopLocalSJ.

The push includes a new fee cap on food-delivery apps, which the City Council unanimously passed earlier this week, a virtual directory of local businesses and a guide for resources for mom-and-pop enterprises.

“Help for our struggling small businesses can’t come soon enough,” Liccardo said this morning in a press release announcing the campaign. “Shopping local is an important way our community can leverage our collective buying power to keep our neighbors employed in these tough times. Throughout this pandemic, we’ve seen how San Jose grows stronger when we’re pulling together.”

With the holiday season already underway and additional pandemic restrictions going into effect throughout the Bay Area, San Jose community leaders have enacted the following programs to achieve that end:

• #ShopLocalSJ, a social media campaign encouraging residents to spend locally during the holiday season to support small businesses and restaurants financially burdened by the pandemic. To join the movement, residents are invited to use #ShopLocalSJ on social media and share photos of their favorite businesses and restaurants;
• Silicon Valley Strong recently launched a regional “Shop Local” digital directory resource, for small business listings in the area. Community members who are not active on social media can help identify their favorite local businesses by visiting siliconvalleystrong.org/shoplocal and submit the businesses information for the online directory;
• Small businesses that are not digitally active can connect with Get Virtual for resources and guidance to establish their digital presence free of charge. Get Virtual will pair local businesses with college students trained in entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and web development to create an online presence. Businesses can contact “Get Virtual” by visiting siliconvalleystrong.org/shoplocal and click on “I need help getting my business online.”
• On Tuesday, the San Jose City Council unanimously supported Mayor Liccardo and Councilman Lan Diep’s proposal to cap third-party food delivery services fees at 15 percent per order. The proposal came as a pandemic response to help struggling businesses survive by regulating app-based delivery services from charging fees of up to 30 percent per order.

To help support San José businesses we're launching #ShopLocalSJ, a campaign to bring attention to local shops & restaurants. #SiliconValleyStrong has launched a directory of local businesses -- sign up your favorite spots or find one to support: https://t.co/1rlGd92XJO. pic.twitter.com/boCEh5FDcM

— Sam Liccardo (@sliccardo) December 17, 2020

Meanwhile, the mayor said he has reached out to a local attorney about reports of insurance companies refusing to compensate small businesses for pandemic-related interruptions—a generally accepted provision in commercial coverage policies. While the city lacks the authority to address the matter and cannot offer legal advice nor recommend particular attorneys to help, Liccardo noted that at least one local lawyer plans to file a class-action lawsuit over the issue.

Paul Caputo, of Caputo & Van Der Walde LLP, is pursuing the litigation on a contingency basis, according to the mayor’s office. Anyone interested in speaking with Caputo about the lawsuit can call his office at 408.733.0100.