Restaurants and bars might want a piece of a $3 million dollar statewide grant program, but they will have to act quickly, local leaders say. The Raising the NYS Bar Restaurant Recovery Fund grant program reimburses owners for money already spent on materials that enable a bar or restaurant to stay open and serve people indoors.
The money must have been spent on Sept. 1, 2020 or later. And the grant is aimed at materials that bars and restaurants bought in order to make their establishments compliant with indoor dining restrictions or that make outdoor dining possible in winter months. This includes money spent on disinfecting cleaners, personal protections equipment, outdoor heaters, plexiglass separation panels and more.
Owners can apply for up to $5,000, which does not need to be paid back. However, the state has only $3 million total in the grant fund, meaning only 600 businesses statewide could receive help if each got the full $5,000.
Jim Siplon and John Wheatley, interim president and vice president respectively of the Warren County Economic Development Corporation, said they acted swiftly, reaching out to more than 20 restaurants, upon hearing of the grant funds.
“We immediately contacted every supervisor in the county to make sure they were able to share the information with the restaurants in their areas,” Siplon said, adding, “Speed matters. I imagine there are many organizations helping people access these funds alongside us, and we welcome that. We want to cover as much ground as possible.”
Wheatley acknowledged that $3 million might not go far enough.
“My hope is that, even if the funds run out quickly, with a large response, the state may issue another round of funding down the line,” Wheatley said.
Gina Mintzer, the executive director of the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce and CVB, said her group has been working to keep on top of all the available grants and programs. She said the situation now feels much the same as it did last March at the start of the pandemic.
“The fact that the money is available is tremendous, but how fast it will be gone is the major question,” said Mintzer.
Heidi Hess, president and executive director of the Bolton Chamber of Commerce, echoed those thoughts.
“I was happy to hear that there is another potential source of income for these struggling businesses,” Hess said. “The more we can do to help ensure these small, family owned businesses stay in business, the better.”
The National Development Council is managing the grant that began Monday Jan. 11. Lisa Chamberlain who is working with the council said it is too early to tell how many restaurants have applied so far.
“I know that we have plenty of inquiries,” she said. “This specific sector needed its own solution.” She said the PPP and NY Forward loans that were aimed at all businesses and sometimes went to very large corporations, “just aren't reaching small restaurants.”
The fund is a partnership between New York State, Diageo Wine and Spirits, Southern Glazer Wines and Spirits and The National Development Council.