Fulton Business Asks Locals For Help

The cash mob strikes again. 

, an art gallery and gift shop at 50th and Penn in Fulton, is in the running to win a visit from one of these mysterious beasts, decided by fan votes. The poll closes at noon on Friday.

As we :

Organized a bit like a flashmob—in this case, through a Facebook poll and via Twitter—they get local residents to spend around $20 each at a local small business.

"A large group of people goes in all at once, and spend(s) a little money on what that business has to offer, be it merchandise, food, drink, or whatever," says the CashMobMpls Facebook page. "It's that easy. By supporting small, locally owned businesses, we can help out those that make Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the Twin Cities the unique area that it is."  

With a name like "cash mob," you'd think its arrival would be preceded by some kind of Jumanji- or Jurassic Park-style trembling of the ground. In reality, said a Star-Tribune column from last month, the "mob" can a lot milder, despite the fact that as many as 1,000 can weigh in on any one poll.

Paper Hat's owner Greta Norlander told Patch that that was a challenge to convert poll votes into purchases—she's looking for an end-of-quarter bump, to boost her sales, but she had high hopes. Still, she's got to win the vote first.