2 Walnut Creek Eateries Awarded $5K Grants For Upgrades, Bonuses

WALNUT CREEK, CA — Dozens of Bay Area restaurants will receive $5,000 grants to help pay for equipment upgrades, employee bonuses and workforce training, including three in Contra Costa County.

This week, the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) and PG&E Foundation named this cycle's 77 grant winners in Northern and Central California, bolstered by a $900,000 donation from PG&E to the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund. The grants are designed to help local restaurant owners with less than $3 million in annual revenue, particularly those owned by women and minority groups.

Here are the winners in Contra Costa County:

• panCoast Pizza – Walnut Creek (1516 S. Main St.)
• Tellus Coffee – Walnut Creek (1410 N. Main St.)
• The Rising Loafer Cafe and Bakery – Lafayette (3643 Mt. Diablo Blvd.)

"It is apparent that there is still a significant need for restaurant assistance, as we received 25 percent more applications this year than last," said Alycia Harshfield, the CRF's executive director.

"While these grants will allow local restaurant owners to build more resilient businesses, we also hope to inspire Californians to support their vibrant local restaurant community in any way they can, whether that's through dining, sharing on social media or spreading the word to friends and family."

PG&E's latest contribution brings its total to $2.3 million provided to 444 restaurants in its service area since 2021, and the next round of funding will be available in the fall.

>> Check out the full list of grant winners here.