- Connecticut Restaurant Relief Fund, which aims to provide immediate relief to state eateries that have suffered major losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is taking applications
- Qualifying recipients can receive a one-time grant of $5,000
- The program is open to donations and will continue if funding allows
Connecticut restaurants that have suffered severe revenue losses during the COVID-19 pandemic have until Friday to apply for a grant program aimed at quickly providing financial relief to qualified recipients.
The Connecticut Restaurant Relief Fund opened to applications last week and has a deadline of 5 p.m. on Feb. 5. The program was established on Jan. 1 in recognition of the ongoing needs of the restaurant industry during the pandemic, and is funded through individual donations as well as grants and contributions from companies and foundations. The Connecticut Restaurant Association announced on Jan. 21 that DoorDash had made a $500,000 contribution to the fund.
The fund offers one-time grants of $5,000 per location. To qualify, a restaurant must be located in Connecticut, have at least a 25 percent annual loss in sales in 2020 compared to 2019 (or have opened after Oct. 1, 2019), and must currently be open providing a modified service such as takeout or delivery.
Monies are distributed as soon as they become available. Applications are reviewed by the Connecticut Restaurant Association and its 501(c)3 not-for-profit entity, the Connecticut Hospitality Educational Foundation, with priority given to sole proprietors as well as eateries owned by women and minorities.
Further criteria to be considered include the severity of the revenue losses and whether the business has received additional grants. Restaurant groups can receive only a single grant, and anyone owning more than one restaurant is advised to direct the funding to the business in most need.
Membership in the Connecticut Restaurant Association has no bearing on the selection of recipients. However, anyone serving on the boards of directors of the association or CHEF is ineligible to receive funding.
The Connecticut Restaurant Association says the state had more than 8,000 restaurants employing over 160,000 people before the pandemic. More than 600 of these eateries have closed during the pandemic, with ongoing closures and layoffs due to business restrictions and other challenges.
Connecticut briefly advanced to Phase 3 of its reopening plan, which allows restaurants to offer indoor dining at 75 percent capacity with non-porous barriers and/or six feet of social distancing, but retreated to a modified version of Phase 2 due to increasing COVID-19 infections. This phase limits restaurants to 50 percent capacity.
The Connecticut Restaurant Association says the fund aims to provide immediate financial relief to restaurants, help keep these businesses open and their workers employed, and offer a reputable option for anyone looking to support restaurants in the state. Grants will be distributed on Feb. 23, and further relief will be provided based on donations received.
