15 OC Eateries Win Restaurants Care Resilience Grant For 2023

ORANGE COUNTY, CA —A total of 15 Orange County restaurants were among 182 Southern and Central California eateries that received $5,000 grants from the Restaurants Care Resilience fund, the fund spokesperson announced Monday.

The grant program, which can be used to strengthen businesses and retain employees, began as a response to the pandemic in 2021. It has since evolved into a permanent fund to build resilience within our restaurant community, a spokesperson for the fund said.

All grant winners are given means to purchase kitchen equipment, technical upgrades, employee training and bonuses, and unforeseen hardships. This second cycle of grants was made possible by donations from SoCalGas, The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation), and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), which have contributed to the fund since it first began.

Southern California restaurant owner and grant winner EJ Smith talked to Patch about what earning the award means to his Murrieta business.

"We are super excited that our Famous PUDN restaurant was picked to win a $5,000 grant from the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund to help with equipment and employee training/bonuses," he said. "The timing was perfect because the 4th quarter has been a little slower than anticipated, even though we did great for Thanksgiving. We hope for an even better Christmas this year than last year because we've added a great gift card promotion. Only time will tell."

In Orange County, the following 15 restaurants received the award:

1. Tacos Madre Mexican Cocina, Costa Mesa, Orange
2. Nirvana Kitchen + Pantry, Laguna Beach, Orange
3. Bred Hot Chicken, Costa Mesa, Orange
4. Dough & Arrow, Costa Mesa, Orange
5. India Kitchen, Tustin, Orange
6. Berry Brand, Tustin, Orange
7. Saha Pizza, Lake Forest, Orange
8. Carmelitas Taqueria and Grill, Aliso Viejo, Orange
9. Early Bird Cafe, Fullerton, Orange
10. La Ranchera Mexican Food, La Habra, Orange
11. Tlaquepaque Restaurant, Placentia, Orange
12. Burritos La Palma, Santa Ana, Orange
13. La Costenita Mexican Food, Santa Ana, Orange
14. Shish Taouk Restaurant, Mission Viejo, Orange
15. Pita Feast, Huntington Beach, Orange

"Since 2021, the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund has awarded $5.94 million in grants to 1,325 independent restaurants throughout California," they said. The restaurants include burger joints, taquerias, bakeries, and more at the heart of every community." Many of these restaurants represent family legacies and life-long dreams."

Here are a few statistics about restaurants that apply for the grant. Most have been in business for around ten years, and 92% are single-unit restaurants. Of the applicants, 66% of the restaurants are owned by women, and 77% are owned by people of color.

On average, each restaurant employs 11 people – over 10,000 employees who will benefit from the resilience fund grant statewide. A new grant of up to $2,500 is directly earmarked for cooks, servers, dishwashers, and other workers when they face an unforeseen hardship.

Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of the California Restaurant Foundation, discussed the most recent grant awards.

"We are thrilled to close out our biggest Resilience Fund year yet by awarding 182 restaurant owners with these business-supporting grants, especially as they enter the holiday season and new year," Harshfield said. "We are confident that our new cohort of deserving restaurant owners will use their grants to strengthen their business resiliency and further cultivate a vibrant food scene across California. SoCalGas, The PG&E Corporation Foundation, and SDG&E have been such wonderful partners to us, and we look forward to continuing to work with them to support locally owned restaurants up and down the state."

The organization actively seeks more supporters, and donations of all sizes are accepted and celebrated. Visit www.restaurantscare.org/resilience for more information.

See the complete list of Fall 2023 grantees here.

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