A Pittsburgh-area auto dealership with two locations in Butler County raised more than $66,000 for regional restaurants in March during its Showroom To Table event.

A news release from #1 Cochran, which has dealerships in Connoquenessing and Cranberry townships, said dealership officials were interested in a program that would help the restaurant industry during the coronavirus pandemic.

The industry was hard hit during the closures and reduced-capacity guidelines mandated to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

In the Showroom To Table program, customers who purchased or leased a vehicle at a #1 Cochran dealership received a $50 gift certificate to one of 32 Pittsburgh-area eateries.

“The restaurant industry is extremely important to our communities, and we wanted to create a way that would get Pittsburghers spending money at their favorite local establishments again,” said Rob Cochran, #1 Cochran president and CEO.

Among the four Butler County businesses to participate in the program was Cummings Candy and Coffee House, which operates four locations in the county.

Owner Barry Cummings is grateful for the support from #1 Cochran, as sales have dropped 20% to 30% since the COVID-19 outbreak.

“I think it's fantastic,” Cummings said. “We need more businesses that think 'community first.'”

He said #1 Cochran bought at least $1,000 in Cummings gift certificates to distribute in the Showroom To Table program, and customers have been using them.

The company bought a total of more than $66,000 in gift certificates from all 32 regional restaurants over almost three weeks. “It just goes to show that when we work together, we can get through challenging times,” Cochran said. “#1 Cochran is truly proud to be a part of the community and we look forward to doing more events like Showroom To Table in the future.”

#1 Cochran was founded in 1965 and now operates 28 new-vehicle franchises at 14 showrooms in Butler, Allegheny and Washington counties.