$5,000 Grants Available To California’s Independent Restaurants Beginning October 25
The California Restaurant Foundation (CRF), a nonprofit focused on investing in and empowering California restaurants and their workforce, is once again opening applications for its Restaurants Care Resilience Fund. This is the second round of grants in 2023, made possible by generous donations from SoCalGas, The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation) and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E). CRF is awarding $5,000 grants to 182 independent restaurants across the state this fall.
“As a part of our continued commitment to bolstering California’s lively and diverse restaurant community, we are excited to open Resilience Fund applications for the second time this year and reach even more deserving restaurant owners eagerly searching for a helping hand,” said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of CRF. “Our deepest gratitude to SoCalGas, The PG&E Foundation and SDG&E, whose ongoing generosity has allowed us to help over 1,100 independent restaurants since 2021. We are ready to meet our next cohort of 182 restaurant owners looking to improve their business for the long-term!”
Similar to the spring 2023 Resilience Fund program, the $5,000 grants can be applied to technology adoption, equipment upgrades, employee onboarding and retention, or unforeseen hardships. The priorities reflect the Resilience Fund’s commitment to providing California’s vibrant restaurant community with the financial support needed to build stronger, more resilient businesses that will continue to feed and contribute to their local communities for many years to come. Since the fund’s inception, more than 1,100 grants have been awarded to independent restaurants across California – 68 percent of which were women-owned and 83 percent are owned by people of color.
Resilience Fund applications will be open from October 25, 2023 to November 8, 2023 and can be found at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience. Grants will be available to all California-based restaurant owners located in the utility companies’ service areas that have less than five units and less than $3 million in revenue. Priority will be given to restaurants who have yet to receive a grant; however, previous recipients are welcome to re-apply.
The Resilience Fund is currently accepting additional support from corporations, foundations, and individuals who want to invest in California’s restaurant community. Donations of all sizes are accepted and celebrated at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience. For more information about the California Restaurant Foundation, Restaurants Care, or the Resilience Fund, please visit www.restaurantscare.org.
California is home to more than 90,000 eating and drinking places that ring up more than $72 billion in sales and employ more than 1.6 million workers, making restaurants an indisputable driving force in the state’s economy. The California Restaurant Foundation is a non-profit that empowers and invests in California’s restaurant workforce. Founded in 1981, CRF supports the restaurant community through relief grants for restaurant workers facing a hardship, job and life skills training for 13,500 high school students each year, and scholarships. For more information visit www.calrestfoundation.org.