COVID-19 recovery grants open for Texas food, beverage businesses
AUSTIN – On Nov. 1, Texas businesses with NAICS Code 722 — including restaurants, bars, caterers, and food trucks — can submit their applications online for the Texas Travel Industry Recovery Grant Program (TTIR), which will provide grants of up to $20,000 to help local businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a news release, the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) led a coalition representing every facet of the hospitality and tourism industry to successfully advocate for the creation of this program when the Texas Legislature convened late last year. As the largest segment of the hospitality and tourism industry, restaurants and other food and drinking places received the largest subset of the program’s $180 million total allocation, and that subset becomes available on Nov. 1.
Eligibility to apply for the TTIR Program is based on several factors, but importantly, businesses that received assistance from the Paycheck Protection Program or similar recovery programs are not disqualified.
And for restaurants with multiple locations, grants are available for each qualifying business with a unique Texas Taxpayer ID.
The TTIR Program is being administered by the Texas Economic Development Office within the Office of the Governor. Several resources are available to help businesses apply for the program including an FAQs page, a webinar on the program, and a video explaining the online application portal. The TRA encourages any business that might be eligible to review these resources before the application portal opens on Nov. 1.
“Restaurants and other foodservice businesses faced unprecedented challenges as a result of government closure orders and the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Emily Williams Knight, Ed.D., President & CEO of the TRA in the release. “We are so proud of the TTIR Program because it’s really the first of its kind in Texas, and while the money will likely fall short of the need, it demonstrates that the State of Texas understands the critical role that the foodservice industry plays and the way it was especially impacted by the pandemic. Many restaurants are still struggling over two years after the pandemic started, and so it’s vital that we get the word out about these grants. For many restaurants, this grant program will go a long way towards helping them get back on their feet so they can continue to employ and serve their neighbors for years to come.”
The Texas Restaurant Association thanks its coalition partners who helped champion the TTIR Program: Texas Travel Alliance, Texas Distilled Spirits Association, Theatre Owners of Mid-America, Texas Hotel & Lodging Association, Texas Wine & Grape Growers Association, Texas Campgrounds, Texas Craft Brewers Guild, NFIB Texas, and Live Events Coalition Texas. We also thank the Texas Legislature and Governor’s Office for their support in creating, funding, and executing this important program.
Formed in 1937, the TRA represents the state’s $70 billion restaurant industry, which comprises approximately 50,000 locations and a workforce of 1.3 million employees. Along with the Texas Restaurant Foundation, the workforce development arm of the TRA, the association continues to protect, advance, and educate a growing industry as the TRA enters its 85th anniversary year. For more information, please visit www.txrestaurant.org.
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