Relief grants available for Montco restaurants

NORRISTOWN » Recognizing the importance of the restaurant and food service industry and the struggles it faced during the coronavirus pandemic, Montgomery County officials earmarked $5 million in county economic development funds to assist those businesses.

County Commissioner Kenneth E. Lawrence Jr. said restaurants struggled to stay open during periods without in-person dining during the pandemic.

“We recognize the importance of the restaurant industry as a cornerstone of Montgomery County’s economic and workforce development as well as central to the growth of entrepreneurship and job opportunities in our communities,” Lawrence said during a recent news briefing.

“That is why we have made $5 million in additional funds available to help this industry. We encourage restaurants and other

food service businesses in need of support to look into this latest round of funding and apply,” Lawrence added.

To apply for the MontcoStrong 2021 Restaurant Grant Program, eligible businesses and organizations are required to complete an online application. Applications must be accepted by noon on Jan. 8.

Elig ible restaurants negatively affected by COIVD-19 can apply for a $10,000 grant through the program, which is jointly administered by the Montgomery County Commerce Department and The Redevelopment Authority of Montgomery County.

Eligible grant expenses include rent or mortgage payments for a business location, payments for utilities for a business location, purchase of personal protective equipment, and payroll for non-owner employees and or their family members between the dates of Jan. 1 and March 5, 2021.

The program’s guidelines and application are available at www.montcopa.org/ commerce

“Without additional support from the federal government and the state, we wanted to step up as a county, and through the leadership of our commissioners, we can now offer additional support to restaurants who need it,” said David Zellers, director of the county’s Commerce Department.

“The next few months after the holidays are typically slower in the restaurant sector, and we know this year it’s going to be even tougher, which is why we are making these grant funds available now,” Zellers added.

Eligible applicants must be a for-profit restaurant, food truck, deli, bakery, brewery, distillery, vineyard, caterer, or other food services for-profit entity with a physical location in Montgomery County and in operation since at least Jan. 1, 2020, and has experienced disruption due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Applicants must meet the following additional criteria:

• Is current with all taxes owed (or in an approved payment plan with all tax bodies to which tax delinquency exists as of the date of application).

• Is and has been in compliance with all lawful COVID-19 mitigation orders issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since March 12, 2020.

• Eligible applicants may not be publicly-traded companies.

• Eligible applicants may be a franchisee, but the franchisee entity may not have more than four locations globally. All grant funds received by a franchisee entity must be used only at their locations in Montgomery County.

• Entities with multiple locations in Montgomery County may apply for each location. Entities with locations both in and out of Montgomery County may only apply for their locations in Montgomery County.

Businesses that have been ordered closed for any public health violation by the Montgomery County Office of Public Health, including any issues related to the spread of COVID-19, or have willfully violated all lawful COVID-19 mitigation orders issued by the state since Jan. 1, 2020, may not apply.

The Redevelopment Authority of Montgomery County will disburse funds to grant awardees upon the return of signed grant agreements. Officials said the goal is to have award decisions approved in mid to late January so that fund disbursement can begin soon thereafter.

Any grant funds not used by a grant recipient during the allowable expense period, Jan. 1, 2021 to March 5, 2021, must be returned to the Redevelopment Authority of Montgomery County not later than April 30, 2021.