SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A small business owner in Pacific Beach is dedicating his store to helping other entrepreneurs during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Uri Bialostozky owns Wallatees, a printing company that makes t-shirts and other items. He's helping restaurants, and other stores closed by the Coronavirus make and sell merchandise to bring in extra money while business is slow.
"For me, it's a no-brainer because I believe in the concept of buying for a cause," says Bialostozky. "I just took a project that I was very passionate about before and made it much more accessible to people who really need it now."
Bialstozky's store helps clubs and teams do fundraisers throughout the year by selling branded merchandise. He's using the same techniques to help affected businesses make Coronavirus-themed shirts and sell them.
The stores provided the slogans, most of which are tongue-in-cheek references to social distancing. Bialostozky makes the shirts, sets up a website to sell them, and then ships them to buyers. Each shirt costs $20. Bialostozky keeps $10 to cover his costs, and the businesses get the rest.
In just a couple of weeks, he's sold hundreds.
"he sparked something in us and gave us hope," says Nancy Scornavacco, the owner of Sweet Things Yogurt. She had to close her store entirely because of the pandemic, and the shirts are the only income currently coming in from the store.
"Our motto has always been 'Peace, Love, and Yogurt.' It's sort of our anthem," she says. "We played on that with "Peace, Love and So-Chill Distancing.'"
Scornavacco had already worked with Bialostozky to make t-shirts and employee uniforms. She says his focus on helping others shows the kind of person he is.
"His small part is huge in our hearts," she says. "While our doors remain closed, our hearts remain open. Uri is very deep in our hearts for what he's doing for every business in this community."
Bialostozky says he's hoping to raise $100,000 to help business owners make ends meet.
"I'm not taking this lightly," he says. "I'm putting forth a lot of effort to help as many people as I can."
To see the shirts that are available or to buy one, click here.
