Higgins announces relief available for restaurants

Registration begins Friday, April 30, with applications accepted as on noon Monday

Congressman Brian Higgins announced the Restaurant Revitalization Fund will begin accepting applications at noon Monday, May 3. The program, funded through the American Rescue Plan and run by the Small Business Administration (SBA), will provide struggling restaurants with federal COVID-19 relief. Applicants can register through the SBA’s application portal beginning at 9 a.m. Friday.

“Local restaurants have suffered major financial hardships during the pandemic, juggling reduced dining capacity, additional food and safety costs, and lower revenues,” Higgins said. “This federal relief will help ease those burdens so restaurants – an integral component of our community – can help in the rebuilding of our economy. We encourage Western New York restaurants to apply quickly. These resources are finite, and the application window will close when funding runs out.”

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund includes $28.6 billion in federal pandemic relief funding and was included in the American Rescue Plan supported by Higgins.

Throughout the pandemic, Higgins has worked to support local restaurants by cosponsoring the RESTAURANTS Act and pushing for the restaurant assistance to be included in COVID-19 relief legislation. Earlier this month, he met with local restaurants to announce the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. On April 19, Higgins joined Buffalo State Small Business Development Center and the Niagara County Community College Small Business Development Center in hosting a virtual workshop during which 77 Western New York restaurants participated to learn more about the resources available.

Additional details on the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, including a sample application and program guide, can be found at SBA.gov/restaurants. Western New York businesses needing additional assistance with the application process can reach out to a local Small Business Development Center: 716-878-4030 (Buffalo SBDC) or 716-210-2515 (Niagara SBDC).