Manufacturer donates patio heaters to help restaurants, coffee shops

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    MT. ANGEL, Oregon (KPTV) — Restaurants and coffee shops are getting some extra help during the cold winter months, with some donations from a local patio heater manufacturer.

Wood Pellet Products in Mt. Angel has donated to two businesses so far, Gear Up Espresso in Silverton and the MarKum Inn in Mt. Angel.

Sitting outside in January is not ideal.

But in the pandemic, restaurants are doing everything they can to heat up business.

“It’s tough,” MarKum Inn owner, Mark Burnett said. “I mean we’re glad to be here but yeah we’ve lost tons of revenue.”

Burnett says outdoor dining has allowed the restaurant to stay in business.

Now with the donation of two patio heaters from Wood Pellet Products, it’s ignited gratitude.

“It’s been great, the ambiance, the fire that you can visually see the heat that it provides, all of that really makes a big difference,” Burnett said.

“The whole community has supported us just tremendously since this whole thing started.”

Wood Pellet Products Owner Tyson Traeger says having his company help restaurants and coffee shops that are struggling right now, just made sense.

“For us having fire is the answer to warmth, having fire is the answer to telling stories and bringing people together,” Traeger said. “We want to do it more, and we want to continue to do it.”

The patio heaters aren’t cheap.

Traeger says they range between $1200 and $1500, but his company was able to donate two free heaters each to the MarKum Inn and Gear Up Espresso.

There are more restaurants on the list.

Traeger says the Flying Fish Company in Portland will soon receive two free patio heaters.

He says he’s also working with a company in Delaware.

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