Residents have a new incentive to check out Downtown Stamford businesses this month -- no charge at any of the three garages operated by the city.

Drivers will need the ParkMobile app and must use the promo code WearAMask. That gets you three hours of free parking.

"Free parking is a huge incentive to come shop. Nobody wants to drive around forever looking for a parking spot, nobody wants to pay a lot of money to park," said Greg Hoffman.

Hoffman is the co-owner of the clothing store Whim on Bedford Street. He is hoping to benefit from the city's latest initiative to help out small businesses.

Parking will now be free in the garage on Bedford, along with those on Bell and Summer streets.

"We want to thank the city for what they've done here, forgoing significant amounts of revenue by inviting people into the parking garages for three hours free. So they can come down and shop, they can come down and dine out and they don't have to worry about feeding the meter," said David Kooris, president of Stamford Downtown Special Services District.

Kooris says it has been a team effort to help retailers and restaurants get through the pandemic. Several dozen restaurants have been able to create or expand outdoor dining because of the partnership with the city.

"We gave up about 120 parking spaces. Not only to make this lot, turn this parking lot into a piazza, but also on street meters to turn that into street dining," said Jim Travers, Transportation, Traffic & Parking bureau chief.

Hoffman says he's seeing sales pick up and believes that will only get better with this parking promotion.

Right now the promotion runs through this month, but Mayor David Martin says it's possible it will be extended into August. It does not apply to street parking.