Queens leaders urge restaurants to apply
for new SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
Lawmakers and business
leaders in Queens joined restaurateurs,
and suppliers from
throughout New York outside
of Lake Pavilion Restaurant
in Flushing to announce and
celebrate the official opening
of the SBA Restaurant Revitalization
Fund (RRF) on Friday,
April 30.
Tom Grech, president and
CEO of the Queens Chambers
of Commerce, expressed his
gratitude to Queens Congress
members Grace Meng and
Gregory Meeks, and to the entire
Queens delegation, for supporting
the restaurant industry,
which suffered significant
financial losses because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“Today, we’re here to celebrate
the official opening of
the restaurant revitalization
fund, the RRF, the $28.6 billion
fund established by the
newly enacted American rescue
plan,” Grech said. “This
is going to provide direct aid
to the restaurant and hospitality
business that have suffered
great, great losses to our country
and especially here in the
epicenter of the epicenter in
Queens County.”
Meng spearheaded the program,
which secured $28.6
billion in funding that will
provide direct aid to New York
City’s restaurant industry,
which was among the hardest
hit during the height of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“Over the past year, restaurants
and drinking establishments
have been in distress.
They’re hurting. They’ve fallen
on hard times. Many continue
to suffer severe economic losses
due to the coronavirus, and
they need help,” Meng said.
According to a report
published by New York State
Comptroller Tom DiNapoli in
September 2020, employment
in New York City’s restaurant
industry fell to 91,000 in April
of 2020 while sales fell by 71
percent from March through
May 2020 compared to the
same period in 2019.
Meng encouraged all restaurants
and drinking establishments
that have experienced
financial losses due to
the pandemic to apply for the
SBA RRF grants, which can
be used to cover rent, payroll
cost, mortgage and utility
payments, food and beverage
expenses, and construction of
outdoor seating.
Funding is available
to establishments that are
not publicly traded or part
of a chain with 20 or more
locations. The maximum
grant size is $5 million for
restaurants and $10 million
for restaurant groups.
New York restaurant owners
and related food and beverage
service businesses, as
well as street food vendors,
bakeries, wineries and caterers,
can register through the
SBA application portal, which
opened on April 30, and start
the application process as of
noon on May 3.
A priority period of 21 days
is given to women or veteranowned
businesses or those that
are socially and economically
disadvantaged.
“I urge you to apply for this
funding. Please log on to the
website. Multiple languages
are available. I will continue to
stand with you and work with
you until we get the relief that
we so desperately need here
and deserve here in Queens,”
Meng said.
The money granted to businesses
through the program
isn’t a loan, but a grant that
doesn’t require repayment.
Assemblyman David Weprin
pointed out that the diversity of
restaurants is what makes New
York City and Queens exceptional
and thanked Congresswoman
Meng for taking the
lead in securing much-needed
TIMESLEDGER | Q 10 NS.COM | MAY 7-MAY 13, 2021
financial relief for the restaurant
industry.
He also saw the silver lining.
“I think the worst is behind
us. The vaccine is here. We
are beginning to get out, and
the best is yet ahead,” Weprin
said.
Younghwan Kim, of the
Murray Hill Merchants Association,
thanked the elected
leaders who helped businesses,
especially minority-owned
businesses,through the most
challenging time.
“They give us the chance
to make the American dream
come true. Because we almost
give up our business, my families,
my family, my friends. All
I can say is thank you to all the
people who work for us,” Kim
said.
Andrew Rigie, executive
director of the New York City
Hospital Alliance, reminded
everyone that the city’s restaurant
industry was vital to the
financial and social fabric of
New York City. He indicated
that because of the pandemic
thousands of restaurants had
to close their doors, and many
are barely surviving.
Rigie also pressed restaurants
to apply for the grant.
“Make sure that you get the
money to pay your rent, your
payroll, your vendors. Get the
whole economic ecosystem
moving again as we continue
to reopen New York City and
come back. Now let’s get cooking
again,” Rigie said.
Jeffrey Garcia, chairman
of the NYS Latino Restaurant,
Bar & Lounge Association,
said that the SBA RRF couldn’t
have come at a better time because
many businesses were at
“the end of the rope.”
“We’re looking forward to
getting back to cooking, getting
back to partying and getting
back to having fun and
getting this city back together.
It is really sad to go into these
boroughs and Manhattan and
see how desolate it is,” Garcia
said.
Eligible businesses that
have experienced pandemic-related
revenue losses can apply
through an SBA-recognized
point of sale (POS) vendor or
directly via SBA’s online application
portal here.
Eligible entities include the
following:
• Restaurants
• Food stands, food trucks
and food carts
• Caterers
• Bars, taverns, breweries/
microbreweries, wineries,
distilleries, pubs, taprooms
licensed facilities or
premises of a beverage
alcohol producer, where the
public may taste, sample or
purchase products
• Salons
• Lounges
• Bakeries
Queens Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Grech announces the official opening of the
Restaurant Revitalization Fund on Friday, April 30, 2021. Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
Congresswoman Grace Meng announces the official opening of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
/NS.COM
