San Diego County restaurants that need to update kitchen equipment or refresh their website can apply for a $5,000 grant from the California Restaurant Foundation.
Applications for the foundation’s Restaurant’s Care Resilience Fund opened on Saturday and are due on May 7, which is a Sunday.
For the third year in a row, California utility companies – SDG&E, SoCalGas and PG&E – are partnering with the food industry trade group to provide money to help restaurants recover from the pandemic and strengthen the their business infrastructure. The 2023 fund is worth $2.1 million with SoCalGas contributing $1 million, the PG&E Foundation providing $900,000 and SDG&E donating $200,000.
This year, the fund is awarding larger grants that will go to 366 brick-and-mortar restaurants across the state. Alycia Harshfield executive director of the California Restaurant Foundation said 35 awards were given to businesses in San Diego County.
California-based restaurant owners with no more than five locations and less than $3 million in annual revenue (combined across all locations) are eligible to apply.
The foundation’s Resilience Fund has awarded 788 grants to independent restaurants since 2021. Last year, 50 San Diego County restaurants were awarded $3,000 grants.
The grants helped businesses buy new stoves and make upgrades to kitchen equipment they may have deferred during the pandemic. It also helps businesses solve staffing issues and put that money into employee retention.
In addition to the tools, Harshfield said this grant cycle they added two new applications for money.
Restaurants can put the grant towards adopting technology, such as adding a digital point-of-sale system, creating a website, investing in social media or tools for inventory control. The money can also be used for “unexpected hardship,” including a restaurant responding to an example of fire, flooding, burglary or vandalism.
“We’re very excited about this year’s grant cycle because we’ve moved from responding to the pandemic to really focusing on building resilience for small independent restaurants,” he said.
Eligible San Diego County restaurants must be an SDG&E customer and must have been in business for at least one full year.
Restaurants that have previously received an award from this grant fund may reapply.
Harshfield said priority will be given to qualified businesses owned by women and people of color. Of the nearly 800 businesses that have been awarded grants to date, 68.5 percent are women-owned businesses and 83 percent are owned by people of color.
“Tell your local restaurants about this opportunity to be their hero and let them know that these grants are available to them,” Harshfield said. “When I’m out to eat I tell the owner or manager of the restaurant that the donation application is live and available and it’s online and simple.”
To apply, visit the California Restaurant Foundation website at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience.