2 Walnut Creek Restaurants Awarded $5K Resilience Grants

WALNUT CREEK, CA — Two Walnut Creek restaurant businesses were among 19 in Contra Costa County, and 278 statewide awarded $5,000 grants as part of the California Restaurant Funds' fourth consecutive Restaurants Care® Resilience Fund, it was recently announced.

The grants were made possible by donations from San Diego Gas & Electric, So Cal Gas and The PG&E Corporation Foundation (funded by shareholders, not PG&E customers). The three utility foundations have contributed to the fund since 2021, amid the pandemic.

"We're incredibly thankful to our generous donors for their continued support, which has afforded us the opportunity to assist thousands of business owners in California’s food industry since 2021," said Alycia Harshfield, executive director of CRF. "Together, we have proudly sustained the Resilience Fund for the past four years, ensuring that California's independent restaurant owners and caterers remain a vital and vibrant part of our state's culinary landscape and economy for many years ahead."

Recipients can use the $5,000 assistance for equipment and technology upgrades, unforeseen hardships, employee retention bonuses, and employee training, all of which allow California’s independent restaurant owners and caterers to invest in the longevity of their businesses and employees.

Among the 278 restaurants awarded, 154 are in Pacific Gas and Electric’s service area, 90 in SoCalGas’ region and 34 in San Diego Gas and Electric’s territory. Eighty-eight percent are single-unit establishments, with an average of 10 years in business. Notably, 76 percent of the grant recipients identify as female, and 73 percent identify as people of color.

Here are the recipients in Contra Costa County:

• Montperi Catering and Events, Walnut Creek
• Chicken Pie Shop, Walnut Creek
• Big House Beans, Antioch
• Butter Pecan Bakeshop, Pinole
• Da Nang Restaurant, Inc., Antioch
• Dream Bowlz, Bay Point
• Elevation 66 Brewing Company, El Cerrito
• Fiya Spice Caribbean LLC, Pittsburg
• Isla Restaurant, Concord
• Kaleidoscope Coffee, Richmond
• Lady J’s Soul Food, Pittsburg
• Lemongrass Bistro LLC, Martinez
• Navarros Italian Deli, Richmond
• R&R’s Cafe, San Pablo
• Royal Indian Restaurant, San Pablo
• Royal Siam, Moraga
• The Corner Kitchen, Concord
• The Great Impasta, Danville
• The Powder Keg Pub Inc, Hercules

See the complete list of 2024 Restaurants Care® Resilience Fund grant recipients.

Over 70 percent of this year’s recipients plan to use the $5,000 grants for kitchen equipment or technology upgrades, and 17 percent will dedicate the funds to employee retention bonuses. To qualify, the restaurants and caterers needed to have fewer than five units, and less than $3 million in revenue.

"Receiving this grant is a great honor and feels like recognition of our efforts at Whitey's Jolly Kone to continue to grow and serve our community," said Jennifer Havson, co-owner of Whitey’s Jolly Kone in Sacramento. "As third-generation owner-operators, we aim to revitalize the foundation that our grandfather and parents established for us, by expanding a family-friendly space to meet the needs of the current and ever-growing community throughout Sacramento. This grant will allow us to make technological upgrades to our building which was built in the early 1960s."

Since 2021, during the coronavirus pandemic, the Resilience Fund has provided financial assistance to more than 1,600 independent restaurants and caterers across California. The Fund is currently accepting additional support from corporations, foundations, and individuals who want to invest in California’s food community. Donations of all sizes are accepted and celebrated at Restaurantscare.org/resilience.

The California Restaurant Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981 that empowers and invests in California's 1.6 million-strong restaurant workforce. CRF supports the restaurant community through relief grants for restaurant workers facing hardship, job and life skills training for 14,000 high school students each year, and scholarships.