Beverage maker Lion has marked March 23 as National Local Day, where Australians will be encouraged to shop at and support their local pubs, clubs, bars and hospitality venues in order to help the sector rebound.

The promotion will see Lion inject more than half a million dollars into venues across Australia through a consumer promotion launching later in the month – though what this promotion will be was left vague.

The shopping event comes a year to the day that pubs and clubs had to shut their doors for the first time in 2020 – the “darkest day in history” for the sector, according to Lion managing director James Brindley.

“Not only was it the first time pubs and clubs had to shut their doors to their communities, ever, but it was also the first time major breweries like Castlemaine Perkins and Tooheys have ever had to turn off their keg lines,” Brindley said.

“We should never take these venues – and the invaluable role they play in bringing Australian communities together – for granted.”

According to Lion, the sector was the first to be hit hard by the pandemic and has yet to fully recover. Encouraging consumers to support their local eateries will go a long way in buoying the sector through the uncertainty ahead.

This story originally appeared on Inside FMCG.