Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06) was at a Winston-Salem restaurant Wednesday to talk about federal funding for the industry, which has struggled during the pandemic.
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) amounts to $28 billion dollars in aid. The money doesn't have to be repaid as long as it is spent by March of 2023.
Manning spoke about the program at Moji Coffee, a shop in Winston-Salem that employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Manning says that businesses can now apply for these funds, and while she doesn't know how long it will take for restaurants to receive the grant money, she trusts the process.
“I spoke with someone here who told me that he went on to apply on Monday, and the application process was easy, and it went through smoothly,” says Manning. “Websites weren't crashing. So at least we know that the applications are going through.”
Last month, a similar relief program for the live music industry launched with a systemwide crash, leaving business owners unable to initially apply.
Eateries can apply for the RRF grants in an amount equal to their pandemic revenue loss — up to $5 million per location, with a $10 million cap on any business.