Some of the businesses hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic are being offered some targeted assistance. Restaurants will be eligible to apply for the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund beginning Monday. Pre-registration is open now.

Established under the American Rescue Plan and signed into law in March, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund dedicates $28.6 billion in direct relief to restaurants and other hard-hit food service establishments that have been economically stressed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue losses up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Funds must be used for allowable expenses by March 11, 2023.

Isabella Casillas Guzman, Administrator of the US Small Business Administration, announced the open applications this past week saying, “Restaurants are the core of our neighborhoods and propel economic activity on main streets across the nation. The SBA has focused on the marketplace realities of our food and beverage businesses in designing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund to meet businesses where they are, and we are committed to equity to ensure our smaller and underserved businesses, which have suffered the most, can access this critical relief, recover, and grow more resilient.”

All eligible applicants are encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible. For the first 21 days the SBA will prioritize funding applications from businesses owned and controlled by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, with funding after that 21 days to be managed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The US Small Business Administration The application genuine It’s been a challenging The US Small Business Administration will begin accepting registrations at 9 a.m., Friday, April 30 and will open full applications at noon, Monday, May 3 for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. To register, visit https://restaurants.sba.gov. For program overview information and guidance visit https://sba.gov/restaurants.

If you are seeking local assistance with your application, please reach out to the Small Business Development Center at JCC at (716) 338-1024.

VACCINATIONS HELP OUR ECONOMY CONTINUE TO OPEN

The US Centers for Disease Control continues to update its guidance for those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The CDC now tells us it is safe for fully vaccinated people to visit with a small group of others who are fully vaccinated indoors without wearing masks or distancing; visit with unvaccinated people (including children) from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 indoors; resume domestic travel without testing or quarantine; and participate in outdoor activities and recreation without a mask, except for crowded settings. Masks should still be work in crowded settings or public places such as grocery stores and shopping centers.

At the same time, as our vaccinated population grows, New York State continues to loosen restrictions on a variety of businesses. Bars and restaurants will be allowed to remain open beyond midnight beginning May 17 for outdoor services, and May 31 for indoor service. Restrictions for catered events will also be adjusted in the next month. For the full guidance from the state visit https://forward.ny.gov.

All of these changes are good for business and for our economy. The more we can resume our social lives the better it is for businesspeople. That’s one of the key reasons we continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated. Vaccination is one of the keys to stopping the spread of COVID-19. It is safe, effective, and free. The vaccines have been thoroughly tested and were granted authorization for use by the US Food and Drug Administration. They have been checked and proven. They do not and cannot alter your DNA. There is no live virus included in the vaccines. They do not implant anything in your system. They function just like many other vaccines that Americans have been receiving for decades.

More and more studies are suggesting that those who have had COVID-19 will likely have long term health implications and the emerging variants of the disease are even more deadly. Doctors and nurses are urging vaccination against the spread of COVID-19. We have a long way to go before we reach herd immunity, yet one by one we each can make a difference in reaching that important goal.

It is easier now than ever before to make a COVID vaccine appointment. Doses are available right now at pharmacies and clinics all across Chautauqua County. To find a conveniently located vaccination clinic, visit www.vaccinehound.org/chautauqua – a site developed by the University at Buffalo to help all Western New Yorkers get vaccinated.

TUESDAY TALKS: FOCUS ON NEW AID FOR BUSINESS

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce will continue its series of Tuesday Talks events for local businesses on May 18 with special guest Courtney Curatolo, Director of the Small Business Development Center at Jamestown Community College.

The discussion will focus on new assistance available for small businesses through the American Rescue Plan. As the Small Business Administration issues application information and eligibility requirements for new programs, the SBDC serves as the local resource for information about those programs.

This event will be held online beginning at 8:30am, Tuesday, May 18. You can register online through the Chamber calendar at www.chautauquachamber.org.

Any local small business is welcome to contact the SBDC at (716) 366-1024 with questions or concerns about assistance programs.