Billions of dollars from American Rescue Plan now available to restaurants and bars, among others

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Starting Monday, April 19th, $26.8 billion is now available to hard-hit restaurants and bars through the U.S. Small Businesses Administration’s Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Key details on application requirements, eligibility, and a program guide for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RFF) were announced Monday.

“Today, we are starting the process to help restaurants and bars across the country devastated by the pandemic, and this is our message: Help is here. With the launch of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, we’re prioritizing funding to the hardest-hit small businesses – irreplaceable gathering places in our neighborhoods and communities that need a lifeline now to get back on their feet,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. “And, thanks to clear directives from Congress, we’re rolling out this program to make sure that these businesses can meet payroll, purchase supplies, and get what they need in place to transition to today’s COVID-restricted marketplace.”

Administrator Guzman emphasized, “We’re also focused on ensuring that the RRF program’s application process is streamlined and free of burdensome, bureaucratic hurdles – while still maintaining robust oversight. Under my leadership, the SBA aims to be as entrepreneurial as the entrepreneurs we serve – and that means meeting every small business where they are, and giving them the support they need to recover, rebuild and thrive.”

For more information on application requirements and eligibility visit www.sba.gov/restaurants (in Spanish at www.sba.gov/restaurantes) - you can also fond a program guide at these web addresses.

According to the SBA, a seven-day pilot period for the RRF application portal and conduct extensive outreach and training will take place over the net few weeks, as well as an application launch. The seven-day pilot period will be used to address technical issues ahead of the public launch. PPP borrowers will be randomly selected in priority groups for RRF and will not receive funds until the application portal is open to the public.

The following guidelines can be found on the SBA site for the RFF. Entities able to apply for this money include:

• 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

The application process will look like this:

The application will look like the one found here - SBA Form 3172

Additional documentation required:

• 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 applicants that are a brewpub, tasting room, taproom, brewery, winery, distillery, or bakery:

• Documents evidencing that onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33.00% of gross receipts for 2019, which may include Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) Forms 5130.9 or TTB. For businesses who opened in 2020, the Applicant’s original business model should have contemplated at least 33.00% of gross receipts in onsite sales to the public.

For applicants that are an inn:

• Documents evidencing that onsite sales of food and beverage to the public comprise at least 33.00% of gross receipts for 2019. For businesses who opened in 2020, the Applicant’s original business model should have contemplated at least 33.00% of gross receipts in onsite sales to the public.

The SBA has deemed certain organizations to have prioritized consideration:

• A small business concern that is at least 51 percent owned by one or more individuals who are: Women, or Veterans, or Socially and economically disadvantaged (see below).
• Applicants must self-certify on the application that they meet eligibility requirements
• Socially disadvantaged individuals are those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias because of their identity as a member of a group without regard to their individual qualities.
• Economically disadvantaged individuals are those socially disadvantaged individuals whose ability to compete in the free enterprise system has been impaired due to diminished capital and credit opportunities as compared to others in the same business area who are not socially disadvantaged.

As part of the President’s American Rescue Plan, the minimum award is $1,000. In addition, up to $5 million may be provided per location with a limit of $10 million total for the applicant and any affiliated businesses. Finally, there is no requirement to repay the funds as long as the funds are used for eligible expenses. Those expenses include:

• Business payroll costs (including sick leave)
• Payments on any business mortgage obligation
• Business rent payments (note: this does not include prepayment of rent)
• Business debt service (both principal and interest; note: this does not include any prepayment of principal or interest)
• Business utility payments
• Business maintenance expenses
• Construction of outdoor seating
• Business supplies (including protective equipment and cleaning materials)
• Business food and beverage expenses (including raw materials)
• Covered supplier costs
• Business operating expenses

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