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Restaurant Revitalization Fund **Update*

Restaurant Revitalization Fund Pre-Registration Now Open

Registration for the Small Business Administration (SBA) application portal begins today, Friday, April 30, 2021, at 9:00am Eastern Time (EDT).

SBA will begin accepting applications via the application portal on Monday, May 3 at 12:00pm EDT. The application portal will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted.

Qualifying applicants should familiarize themselves with the application process in advance to ensure a smooth and efficient application. Follow the steps below.

Webinar Recording

If you were unable to attend one of the webinars held earlier this week which covered RRF program details and a demonstration of the application portal, you can watch the recording here.

For more information about the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, visit sba.gov/restaurants.

About the Restaurant Revitalization Fund

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, will provide $28.6 billion in grants to restaurants and bars in need. 

  • This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location.
  • Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023.
  • Five billion dollars of that total will be set aside expressly for businesses with 2019 gross receipts of less than $500,000.

Grants will be based on lost revenue, and funds may be used to pay for the following expenses incurred between February 15, 2020, to December 31, 2021:

  • payroll costs
  • principal and interest payments on a mortgage, not including any prepayments on principal
  • rent payments, not including prepayments
  • utilities
  • maintenance expenses including construction to accommodate outdoor seating and walls, floods, deck surfaces, furniture, fixtures, and equipment
  • supplies including personal protective equipment and cleaning materials
  • food and beverage expenses within the eligible entity’s scope of normal business practice before the covered period, which runs from Feb. 15, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2021, or another date as determined by the SBA
  • covered supplier costs
  • operational expenses
  • paid sick leave
  • any other expenses the SBA determines to be essential to maintaining the eligible entity

Eligibility

Most restaurants and bars that lost revenue in 2020 versus 2019 will be eligible to apply for grants. These types of establishments are eligible:

• restaurants
• food stands, food trucks, food carts
• caterers
• bars, saloons, inns, taverns, lounges, brewpubs
• tasting rooms, taprooms, licensed facility or premise of a beverage alcohol producer where the public may taste, sample, or purchase products

These entities are not eligible:

• any restaurant or bar that is part of a publicly-traded company
• any restaurant owned by a state or local government
• owners that operate more than 20 restaurants (if you are the owner of a franchise and you do not control more than 20 locations, you are likely eligible to apply)

Preparing to Apply

  1. You can apply through SBA-recognized Point of Sale (POS) vendors or directly via SBA in a forthcoming online application portal: https://restaurants.sba.gov.
  2. Participating POS providers include Square, Toast, Clover, NCR Corporation (Aloha). If an applicant is working with a POS vendor, they do not need to register beforehand on the https://restaurants.sba.gov application portal.
  3. Registration with SAM.gov is not required. DUNS or CAGE identifiers are also not required. ** This is different than the original information provided.
  4. Work with an accountant to prepare paperwork that clearly shows your gross revenue loss in 2020 as compared to 2019.
  • Verification for Tax Information: IRS Form 4506-T, completed and signed by Applicant. Completion of this form digitally on the SBA platform will satisfy this requirement.
  • Gross Receipts Documentation: Any of the following documents demonstrating gross receipts and, if applicable, eligible expenses:
    • Business tax returns (IRS Form 1120 or IRS 1120-S)
    • IRS Forms 1040 Schedule C; IRS Forms 1040 Schedule F
    • For a partnership: partnership’s IRS Form 1065 (including K-1s)
    • Bank statements
    • Externally or internally prepared financial statements such as Income Statements or Profit and Loss Statements
    • Point of sale report(s), including IRS Form 1099-K

For assistance preparing your application, you can access the following:

Program Guide Sample Application (SBA Form 3172)

For more information, visit the SBA’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund website.