Resources for Hospitality, Restaurants, and Other Businesses as a Result of COVID-19

The uncertain times in which we are still living due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will likely continue for many in the hospitality and food service industries, as well as for other small businesses and their employees. Normally welcoming hotels are vacant. Restaurants are at restricted capacity and have attempted to survive on minimal occupancy and take-out services. Salons, movie theaters, and gyms have minimal to no occupancy, as the government continues to restrict access and the costs to maintain services exceed the income generated by the restricted access. Unless these businesses have reinvented themselves to sustain viability, most have suffered and will continue to agonize with very little or no relief.

Notwithstanding the current obstacles and the government response programs (CARES Act, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Main Street Lending Program) that have failed to ensure survival for most restaurants and hospitality establishments to date, certain national organizations, foundations, college and professional athletes, and local communities have created supportive resources for strained employers and employees during these difficult times.

Watching your local news, reading your local newspaper, and a quick internet search will yield various resources for applicable employers and employees to apply for grant monies. Additional resources can be found on restaurant, hospitality, and tourism organizations’ and associations’ websites. 

Examples of some of these resources include:

Restaurants

• Your Guide to Restaurant Relief in America: A comprehensive guide to restaurant relief for workers and businesses in America
• The Barstool Fund: Raised over $29 million to date, which has been disbursed to help small businesses affected by the pandemic, including salons, dance studios, restaurants, bars, pizzerias, and clothing stores
• James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund: Relief fund that provides critical assistance to small, independent restaurants affected by COVID-19
• The Restaurant Strong Winterization Grant: Greg Hill Foundation and Grubhub collaboration to winterize outdoor dining areas to increase capacity for guests
• Restaurants Act: Resource center for restaurants, employees, customers, and industry partners to access information and resources at the federal, state and local levels

Restaurant Employees

• Another Round, Another Rally: Not-for-profit financial resource for the hospitality industry that supplies emergency assistance to those employed in restaurants, bars, and hotels who have fallen on unexpected hardship
• CORE: Serves food and beverage service employees with children who are faced with a health crisis or a natural disaster and are in need of help
• Go Tip Em: Pick your favorite or random bartender and tip them using their preferred mobile payment service
• Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund: Relief fund for individuals seeking assistance due to COVID-19

Hospitality Employers

• PPP Second Draw Borrower Application Form
• COVID-19 Federal Hotel Leasing Program: Information regarding renting hotels for quarantine purposes
• NYS Executive Order 202.83: May apply to hotels that have restaurants
• Local taxing jurisdiction may choose to defer scheduled tax payments for a period of 120 days during a declared state of emergency
• SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program: Provides small businesses and not-for-profits with low-interest loans to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing due to COVID-19

Hospitality Employees

• Horizon Beverage COVID-19 Industry Funds: List of funds and foundations that are providing grants and collecting donations from community members willing to help people in the hospitality industry stay afloat
• ROC United COVID-19 Resources: A comprehensive list of national, state, and local resources available to restaurant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Plate: “Here’s How Hospitality Workers Can Access Relief Funds and Other Resources”: A list of state and national resources for hospitality workers affected by COVID-19
• Hospitality Relief Dashboard by Barmagic: A portal to support the hospitality industry in North America, with more than 700 resource links and daily updates

Other Resources for Small Businesses and Employees

• Facebook Small Business Grants Program: Cash grants and ad credits to help small businesses in over 30 countries
• Fundera Small Business Relief Hub: Provides financing options for businesses impacted by the coronavirus outbreak
• GoFundMe: Search various fundraisers to help people in the hospitality and restaurant industries, for instance, the Syracuse, New York-based:
  • The 75k small business giveback!
• Buffalo Business Blitz: Partnership with the City of Buffalo and Starz24, administered by WEDI, that provides financial assistance awards of $2,500 to small businesses in Erie County, New York, that are financially impacted by COVID-19
• Gusto: Lists relief resources for small businesses and employees including state, federal, and private resources

Barclay Damon will continue to update you on additional COVID-19-relief grant opportunities, resources, and federal emergency relief and stimulus legislation.

If you have any questions regarding this alert, please contact John Gaughan, partner, at jgaughan@barclaydamon.com; Gerry Stack, partner, at gstack@barclaydamon.com; or another member of the Hotels, Hospitality & Food Service Team.

We also have a specific team of Barclay Damon attorneys who are actively working on assessing regulatory, legislative, and other governmental updates related to COVID-19 and who are prepared to assist clients. Please contact Yvonne Hennessey, COVID-19 Response Team leader, at yhennessey@barclaydamon.com or any member of the COVID-19 Response Team at COVID-19ResponseTeam@barclaydamon.com.