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City briefs council on second annual Southlake Open Rewards: $100,000 allocated for 5% cashback program
Summary
Economic development staff told the council the 2025 Southlake Open Rewards cashback program will run Feb. 1 through late spring, offer 5% back on dining, shopping and entertainment, and use $100,000 of hotel occupancy tax with about 373 participating businesses so far.
Dylan Duque, economic development and tourism specialist, briefed the City Council on the second annual Southlake Open Rewards program, a 5% cashback promotion for dining, shopping and entertainment in Southlake that will run from Feb. 1 through late spring.
Duque said the program is funded with $100,000 in hotel occupancy tax this year, an increase of $25,000 from the prior year. He reported the app had nearly 2,000 users last year and that staff has recruited approximately 373 local businesses to participate in 2025. Participants will submit receipts through the Open Rewards app and redeem cash back via options such as Zelle or PayPal.
Duque described the program as an economic-development tool to support local merchants and offset a recent dip in general fund sales tax revenue. He said the city will use targeted marketing and push notifications to reach enrolled users as the program runs. The citys website for the program is southlakeopenrewards.com.
Mayor Sean McCaskill and other council members praised the usability of last years app. No council action was required; the briefing was informational and the council included an additional $25,000 in the budget to support this years program.
