County launches grant program for restaurants

In an effort to assist restaurants affected by the COVID-19 restrictions, Los Angeles County is set to launch the Keep L.A. County Dining Grant program today.

The Keep L.A. County Dining Grant is expected to provide $30,000 to use as working capital for employee payroll expenses, capital to continue operations, payment of outstanding business expenses and adaptive business practices needed to remain open.

The program, approved by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 24 and operated by the county’s Development Authority, is set to be available to small businesses across the county, not including the cities of L.A. and Pasadena, that can demonstrate that their business was impacted by COVID-19 through a hardship due to closure and a reduction in revenue, with preference given to restaurants that provided outdoor dining as of Nov. 24.

Businesses that have already received assistance from other county Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES, Act programs are not eligible for this program.

“Earlier this year, restaurants made incredible sacrifices to align with public safety protocols in order to open for in-person dining and help pay their bills,” county Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose 5th District includes the Santa Clarita Valley, said in a prepared statement. “These restaurants, the vast majority of which employ fewer than 25 people, truly represent the smallbusiness community that drives the county’s economic engine. The recent health officer orders to close in-person dining was a devastating blow and as a result, the board identified the need to immediately deploy grant funding to support these impacted small businesses.”

The application period for the program is scheduled to begin today and be available through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, or until 2,500 applications are received, whichever comes first. For more information, visit keeplacountydining.lacda.org, call 626-943-3833 or email keeplacountydining@lacda.org.