Danielle Armbruster and her family are having a great season at The Shops at Main & McGrew 100 South Main St., on the public square. So much so, they’re planning to pay it forward this Christmas.

During the holiday open house on Saturday, Nov. 28, or which has become known around the public square as “Small Business Saturday,” the Main and McGrew staff are hoping to give back to the community. While they participated in toy drive last year, they’re changing their focus this season, asking shoppers to drop in non perishable food donations, which they will give to Shelbyville Community Soup Kitchen.

With a volunteer from SCSK working at Main and McGrew, the group has gotten inspired; they’re going to try to and collect as much non perishable and also monetary items as they can to provide families with a festive meal.

“It’s just on that Saturday, really, that we’re having that collection. But, I think right now . . . that whole week leading up to it we’ll accept donations. We want to make sure when we go and give it all to them, it’s really impactful. We’re just hoping we can do enough to help them out.”

Danielle advises that shoppers who donate items on Nov. 28 will be entitled to discounts that Saturday on their purchases at Main and McGrew. One to five items receives a 10 percent discount; five to 10 items entitles a 15 percent discount; and shoppers who select 10 or more items receive a 20 percent discount.

“It’s a good day for small businesses . . . wanted to make sure we take advantage of how busy that day is to really raise awareness for something that really needs our help right now.”

SCSK is currently serving over 100 families on Tuesdays from 4 to 5 p.m., at the old Save-A-Lot grocery store parking lot on South Cannon Boulevard. Monetary donations are especially in need right now to sustain the weekly mission, organizers said recently.

As for how The Shops at Main & McGrew, located in the old Argie Cooper Public Library building, have recently been affected by the coronavirus, Danielle said business has been surprisingly good. She is grateful to those customers who’ve been so supportive to all shops on the public square district throughout the pandemic.

“All the shops on the square have been feeling the love right now, so it’s been really nice. It’s been a blessing.”

She does want to stress that her business does require customers currently wear masks inside. “We do require masks . . . we get a lot of people thanking us for requiring the masks, because they say they ‘feel safe’ to shop in here. That makes me happy that they feel comfortable coming in here.”

Amidst the Halloween decor the shop is currently placing around the statuesque building, there’s an assortment of antiques and collectibles of which to browse. In the past, children sat in the building reading their library books, so the shop is still pretty reminiscent of those days gone by.

Though fairly young, Danielle realizes the world in some aspects is a little stressed, so she’s thankful for those tried-and-true customers who’ve supported them in 2020. Her family/staff, which includes her boyfriend, Mike Lagunovic, and her brother, Alex Armbruster, have been on the “ride” at Main & McGrew for 3 years now, she says.

The Armbrusters are from Cleveland, Ohio and Mike is a New Jersey native. Danielle moved to Nashville about six years ago to attend Belmont University; her whole family has since transplanted to Murfreesboro and Shelbyville.