The year that has gone by was tough for many industries, restaurants being one of the most affected. In a bid to offer support to about 130 restaurants in Los Angeles County, a Restaurants Care Resilience Fund was formed in March 2021 by the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF). The CRF has offered a grant of about $3,500 to each of these restaurants with the promise to offer more funds to help the restaurants get back to their pre-COVID conditions once again. As per the Foundation’s Executive Director, Alycia Harshfield, the eateries and restaurant business had a tough time last during Covid-19.
“132 LA County restaurants awarded $3,500 grants, year-long support. The money will help them recover from the economic challenges of COVID-1. 132 LA County restaurants awarded $3,500 grants, year-long support. The money will help them recover from the economic challenges of COVID-19. The fund will power year-long support services to 318 California restaurants, including 132 in L.A. County, 77 in San Diego County, 62 in San Francisco and Alameda counties, 29 in Sacramento and San Joaquin counties, and 18 in Fresno and Kern counties.[1]
The Restaurants Care Resilience Fund of the CRF has received the Southern California Gas Co, Pacific Gas and Electric Co, and San Diego Gas and Electric funds. The total donation received by CRF is about $1.25 million, handed over to the individual restaurants. Besides this amount, Wells Fargo has committed to offering another $250,000 towards a donation to the CRF’s Restaurants Care Resilience Fund.
California Restaurant Foundation Intended Use of The Grant
The money received from Wells Fargo is being planned for offering support to colleagues from the industry, giving discounts to restaurant owners, menu reviews to help to optimize, and also offering upgraded learning opportunities by top experts from the industry.
The donation received from Southern California Gas Co. and the other two partners is partly going to contribute to hardship funds for F&B workers of the industry who have had a hardship-filled last year.
Beneficiaries: 318 Restaurants
The primary beneficiaries of the fund will be about 318 restaurants in California. A set of guidelines have been drafted for qualifying restaurants. It includes having one restaurant in one location with less than 50 employees and has reported losses of 20% or more in 2020-21 compared to the previous year.
There were nearly 1,000 applications received for the grant. Of these, only 318 restaurants were selected in California, of which 132 are in LA County, 62 in San Francisco and Alameda, 77 in San Diego Country, 29 in Sacramento and San Joaquin, while 18 restaurants each in Fresno and Kern counties.
Alycia mentioned that the industry had faced many challenges, with many businesses shutting down and several employees getting laid off during the crisis. Many of these restaurants have their revenues down by almost 50%. At the federal level, too, the government has started the Restaurant Revitalization Fund worth $28.6 million to help small restaurateurs get back to their feet.
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