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May 3, 2021

Rep. Pressley: American Rescue Plan Relief for Restaurants Available Today

BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) announced that restaurants in Massachusetts will be able to apply for direct relief through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund beginning today, Monday, May 3, at 12:00 p.m. ET. The $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund was created by the American Rescue Plan that Rep. Pressley helped pass last month.

“Our restaurants are the backbones of our local economies and among the hardest hit by this public health and economic crisis—and that is especially true for restaurants here in the Massachusetts 7th,” said Rep. Pressley. “The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which was established through the American Rescue Plan, will provide billions in much-needed relief for our local restaurants, including those owned by women, Black, brown, immigrant, and other historically underrepresented communities. I encourage those who are eligible to sign up today for this important relief, which will help our local restaurants get back on track and set us on a path to an equitable recovery.”

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund will provide restaurants and other eligible businesses with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business. The relief does not have to be repaid, provided that the funds are put toward eligible uses by March 11, 2023. During the first 21 days, applications from restaurants owned and operated by women, veterans, or socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will receive priority.

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund application portal can be accessed at https://restaurants.sba.gov/requests/borrower/login/. Participating POS providers include Square, Toast, Clover, NCR Corporation (Aloha). Entities that work with Square or Toast, you do not need to register beforehand on the portal.

Entities eligible to apply:

  • Restaurants
  • Food stands, food trucks, food carts
  • Caterers
  • Bars, saloons, lounges, taverns
  • Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
  • Bakeries (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
  • Brewpubs, tasting rooms, taprooms (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
  • Breweries and/or microbreweries (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
  • Wineries and distilleries (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
  • Inns (onsite sales of food and beverage to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
  • Licensed facilities or premises of a beverage alcohol producer where the public may taste, sample, or purchase products.

Rep. Pressley has long been an advocate for our local restaurants and small businesses, dating back to her work on the Boston City Council.

Last May, Rep. Pressley introduced the Saving Our Street Act with then-Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) to provide economic relief to small businesses with less than 10 employees, with a specific focus on Black and brown-owned businesses.

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