Mayor Bill de Blasio, the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Jonnel Doris, and NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) Commissioner Anne del Castillo today launched Fair Share NYC: Restaurants, a program to connect restaurants to federal relief funds.
The federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) provides non-taxable grants to restaurants hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis. Individual restaurants may qualify for up to $5 million and restaurant groups may be eligible for up to $10 million in grant funding. MOME and the Office of Nightlife will support the program by conducting targeted outreach to restaurants in the coming weeks through email lists, social media, and third-party industry groups.
“New York City’s restaurants have worked tirelessly to keep the lights on, keep their workers employed, and keep their neighborhoods vibrant. Now, it’s time to connect them to the support they deserve,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We can’t afford to let local restaurants fall through the cracks, and I’m proud to give every establishment the resources to access federal assistance.”
Fair Share NYC: Restaurants will help eligible applicants secure these critical funds through:
* Weekly webinars to review the RRF grant program and prepare their application
* Virtual one-on-one sessions with trained counselors
* Information about additional programs and services that can help your business
Fair Share NYC: Restaurants builds on the City’s larger initiative to help businesses affected by the pandemic to connect to federal funding, including Fair Share NYC: PPP which launched in January to connect businesses to PPP funds, and Curtains UP NYC which launched in February to provide free application assistance for NYC live performance businesses and nonprofits applying for the federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program. Since the beginning of the pandemic, SBS has assisted more than 4,000 businesses with over $294M in PPP applications and connected over 5,000 businesses with $142M in loans and grants.
“Restaurants are a driving force in New York City’s economy, providing jobs and building careers for thousands of New Yorkers,” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives and Co-Chair of the Racial Inclusion and Equity Taskforce. “We are grateful to our federal partners for bringing these critical dollars to the City’s restaurant community, helping them recover from this pandemic.”
“The restaurant industry is essential to New York City’s social and economic fabric but has faced unprecedented financial challenges as we navigated the health crisis,” said Jonnel Doris, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “SBS will continue to serve on the frontline of recovery by helping connect our City’s restaurants to this federal grant.”
“New York City can’t be the creative capital of the world without our restaurants,” said Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Anne del Castillo. “Restaurants are vital to our creative economy, serving as the pre-theater warm up, after show encore, or the main attraction that draws visitors from around the world to experience our unparalleled intersection of creativity and cuisine.”
“We know how essential our restaurant and hospitality industry is to New York City’s recovery and how difficult this past year has been for the industry,” said Executive Director of the Office of Nightlife at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Ariel Palitz. “We will continue to make sure our restaurants have the support, resources and guidance they need to get back on their feet.”
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund registrations will open on Friday, April 30. Applications will open on Monday, May 3. Anyone considering applying is urged to start organizing their application.
The federal government will prioritize veteran-, women-, and minority-owned businesses in the first 21 days of the RRF grant program. SBS will offer language line assistance in dozens of languages during one-on-one consultations. Small businesses should visit www.nyc.gov/restaurantfund or call 888-SBS-4NYC for more information.
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