The following is an open letter published by the Independent Restaurant Coalition. They are collecting signatures to encourage Congress to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. and support independent bar and restaurant operators. For more information, see here.
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer and Leader McCarthy;
Our industry is grateful to Congress for passing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund earlier this year but neighborhood restaurants still need help — and we can't wait any longer. Our small businesses are struggling to survive: food and supply costs have skyrocketed, diners are more apprehensive with each new COVID variant, winter weather makes outdoor dining impossible, and we have immense debt after almost two years of business disruption. Many businesses that have managed to scrape by anticipate closing forever in the next few months if they don't receive a Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) grant.
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Over 100,000 restaurants and bars received vital protections from the $28.6 billion RRF included in the American Rescue Plan, but 177,000 applicants are still waiting for funding. Over 86% of independent restaurants and bars like ours who didn't receive grants risk closing permanently without relief. It's not fair to help some businesses navigate the rising cost of staying in business by helping pay down debts, make necessary repairs and hire workers at competitive rates. The government should not pick winners and losers — this pandemic impacted all of us, and we all deserve a fair shot.
That's why we're writing to ask that you refill the RRF with additional aid for our industry. A broad, bipartisan majority of lawmakers support bills to get this done in both the House (H.R.3807 and H.R.4568) and the Senate (S.2091 and S.2675). To date, 295 representatives in the House and 51 Senators have signed on in support of refilling the RRF.
READ MORE: Businesses Navigate Restaurant Revitalization Fund, PPP Loans
Time is up for our nation's 500,000 local, independent restaurants and bars, as well as the 16 million people we employ and the millions of farmers, fishermen, beverage distributors, and others up and down the supply chain. Restaurants serve our communities, employ families, and feed our economy. We need your help so we can continue serving you for years to come.
Respectfully,
Independent Restaurant Coalition
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