There are two new programs designed to assist restaurants and bar owners, live music venues, caterers, and similar businesses that have been walloped by the pandemic.

Shuttered Venue Program
The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance. Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, April 27th 2PM-3PM to provide details about the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The webinar is free for all to attend. Restaurants, bar owners, caters, and similar businesses are encouraged to register at the link below.

Restaurant Revitalization
The American Rescue Plan Act established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) providing restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023.