The Blatnik Bridge closes in March 2027 for four to five years. Superior Rewards gives Minnesota customers a concrete reason to make the Bong Bridge detour this week, and sends every reward back through another Superior business.
Every purchase helps build a stronger Superior.
A city-sponsored cash-back program. Shoppers earn 5% back on purchases at independent Superior businesses, paid from a community rewards fund. Rewards can only be spent at other participating Superior businesses, so every reward dollar becomes a second local sale.
Nothing. No sign-up fee, no transaction fee, no equipment, no new point-of-sale system. You keep the full value of every sale. The rewards come from the City, Douglas County and community sponsors, not from your margin. It is not a coupon: nothing is discounted, and the reward has to be spent at another Superior business.
Say yes and confirm your business details. The program handles onboarding through the Open Rewards platform. You put a window decal and counter QR card by the register. That is the whole job.
They download the free Open Rewards app, choose Superior as their community, and link a debit or credit card. Then they pay normally. No coupon, no code, nothing for your staff to scan or key in. Cash back posts automatically within a few days.
A listing in the in-app directory, inclusion in paid media aimed at Duluth, Hermantown and Proctor, tie-ins to BID events and Hard Hat Happy Hours, and a second visit from customers redeeming rewards nearby. Minnesota shoppers earn a 10% Cross the Bong bonus for the length of the closure.
Independently and locally owned businesses with a physical location in Superior, approved by the program administrator against published criteria. Not eligible: national chains and franchises, vehicle sales, real estate, financial services, gift card purchases, cannabis, tobacco, vape and gambling.
Not decided yet. Trades are a flagged at-risk sector, but high-ticket jobs would hit the $25 per-transaction cap on nearly every invoice. The funding partners settle this in the eligibility policy.
Yes. $25 maximum reward per transaction and $300 per shopper per year. Rates and caps are reviewed quarterly and the fund is paced monthly so it lasts the full pilot.
Not yet. This is a proposed 12-month pilot before the City, Douglas County, The Development Association and the Superior BID. If funded in the 2027 budget cycle: business recruitment Nov 2026 to Jan 2027, soft launch on Small Business Saturday, Nov 28, 2026, full launch with the closure in Feb to Mar 2027.
The same platform runs in Littleton, CO (3,000+ users, nearly $2M in stimulated activity), Englewood, CO (about $187,000 in impact, 15% on its construction corridor) and Pasadena, CA ($10,000 in, $122,000 out; 85% of users said it changed where they shopped).
Email [email protected] with your business name, address in Superior, a contact name and phone, and what you sell. Or hand this sheet back to the BID volunteer with those four things written on it. Signing up is an expression of interest, not a commitment.