The Seminole Heights community rallied around their local businesses on Saturday and showed love and support on their busiest day of the year, Small Business Saturday.

“It’s one of the most tight knit communities I’ve ever been a part of, it’s one of the things that drew us to the area a few years ago,” Seminole Heights resident and shopper David Chestnut said.

For many local shops and restaurant owners, this mini-holiday is more important than ever after the search for the Seminole Heights Killer has caused some sales to drop.

“Our night time traffic has slowed a bit, its different for us because we’re open during the day but our restaurants at night time have seen a downturn in traffic,” Greg Curtis, owner of Cleanse Apothecary said.

Neighbors said they’re focusing on resilience over their worries. They’ve banded together and encourage others to shop local.

“It’s an amazing place to work, it’s an amazing place to live, and it’s an amazing place to come and support,” Elizabeth Graham, owner of  Forever Beautiful Salon and Wine Spa said.

Business owners said Seminole Heights has always felt like family but they’ve been getting an even bigger outpouring of support from their community and law enforcement officers that’ve been out in full force patrolling and protecting their streets.

“The police have been great. A lot of us shop owners will actually walk customers out to their cars if they feel unsafe,” David Hansen, owner of Urban Bungalow said.

Seminole Heights residents said they’ll continue to support and be proud of their neighborhoods.

“You’re a little more aware, you’re a little more vigilant at night, but life goes on. We try to look out for our neighbors but that’s something we  do in the Heights anyway,” Chestnut said.