The National Restaurant Association has sent a letter to the Small Business Administration urging the agency to fulfil its prior commitments to the 2,965 businesses that it rescinded Restaurant Revitalization funding from last week.
“These men and women have struggled to keep their restaurants afloat during the most challenging period in our industry’s history,” said Sean Kennedy, executive vice president, public affairs at NRA, in the letter. “The acceptance letter they received from the SBA represented a commitment to provide not only federal funding, but also a needed bit of hope that they would survive to serve their community. The announcement that their grants will be awarded to others has left them confused, frustrated, and afraid they will have to close their doors for good.”
Kennedy continued, “To be clear, we are very mindful that this action is to comply with a federal court ruling, and that you remain committed to preserving and sustaining the nation’s second largest private-sector employer. These 2,965 restaurants received a commitment from the SBA for federal relief, and they deserve every effort to achieve this.”
“We urge you to review all pandemic relief programs under your control for the prospect of any appropriate reprogramming of federal dollars to fulfill your prior commitments to them,” Kennedy concluded. “Of equal importance are the hundreds of thousands of restaurant operators who have submitted RRF applications, which will not be considered due to insufficient federal funding. Congress must complete the mission of the RESTAURANTS Act and replenish the RRF—an ask we and our membership will continue to press on Capitol Hill.”
Related: Plaintiffs Opposing SBA Priority Period Receive Funds; SBA Revokes Restaurant Revitalization Fund Approvals.