Wash Heights Eateries Got $8M From Federal Stimulus: Here's Which

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — More than 40 Washington Heights restaurants, caterers and other food spots received grants from the federal government as part of the stimulus package passed in January, according to newly released data.

Ranging from $4,900 to $1.12 million, the grants came from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a key component of the American Rescue Act. The recipients were revealed Friday by the Small Business Administration in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

Washington Heights did not have a restaurant come close to receiving the maximum $10 million grant.

All told, 42 businesses in the Heights got money, amounting to nearly $9 million combined. The government's $28.6 billion fund closed at the end of June after granting less than a third of the more than 370,000 requests made nationwide.

Compared to other Manhattan communities, restaurants in Washington Heights received significantly less than other neighborhood's eateries.

Restaurants on the Upper East Side and Upper West Side got $107 million and $72 million, respectively. While, one ZIP code in the West Village, a much smaller neighborhood than Washington Heights, but one known for its restaurants — received $75 million from the fund.

In Washington Heights, the average grant was $213,392. Some recipients are well-known names, such as the Italian restaurant Saggio and the french eatery Pandering Pig. The top $1,112,059 grant winner was Boxers Washington Heights LLC, which runs a bar at West 159th Street and Broadway.

Here are the 10 Washington Heights businesses that got the biggest grants:

1. Boxers Washington Heights LLC, (owner of Boxers NYC Washington Heights), 3820 Broadway: $1,112,059
2. Saggio NYC, 827 West 181st Street: $732,391
3. 3821 Broadway Cafe LLC, (owner of Hilltop Park Alehouse), 3821 Broadway: $478,836
4. Mariscos Ramirez Inc., (owner of Marisco Centro), 1490 St Nicholas: $446,102
5. ABP Columbia Inc., (owner of Au Bon Pain), 1121 St Nicholas: $398,387
6. Carnival Latin Bistro Corp, 4235 Broadway: $362,691
7. El Conde M & G Inc., (owner of El Conde Nuevo), 4139 Broadway: $338,387
8. Jade Chen 88 Inc, 4028 Broadway: $314,239
9. 3938 BWAY REST LLC, (owner of Fort Washington Public House), 3938 Broadway: $302,718
10. MC Brothers LLC, 651 West 169th Street: $288,531

The Washington Heights eateries are among more than 27,000 in New York state that got Restaurant Revitalization grants, totaling more than $9.6 billion.

The fund was initially supposed to prioritize restaurants owned by women, veterans and members of other marginalized groups, but that aspect was halted after white business owners sued, alleging that the government was discriminating against them.

Below, scroll through the full list of Washington Heights spots that received federal grants. (Note that many are listed under business aliases, but searching the name on the state's liquor license database can reveal each one's identity.)

Patch reporter Nick Garber contributed to this report.