Business & Tech

These North Kingstown Area Restaurants Got Revitalization Funds

Nationally, around 101,000 eateries received grants, including some in the North Kingstown area.

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — The Restaurant Revitalization Fund doled out more than $28.6 billion in grants to eateries that sustained financial losses during the pandemic, including several North Kingstown area restaurants.

The fund was established as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of March 2021. More than 101,000 restaurants received grants as of June 30, according to the Small Business Administration. The average grant size was $283,000.

Restaurants were eligible for up to $10 million in grants, with no more than $5 million per location. Funds don’t have to be repaid if they are used for eligible expenses, such as payroll or rent, through March 11, 2023.

The following North Kingstown area restaurants were among those that received a Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant. Check here for a full, searchable database.

Business: RED STRIPE HOLDINGS LLC

  • North Kingstown, RI, 02852
  • Grant amount: $1,535,954

Business: KUPA ENTERPRISES LLC

  • North Kingstown, RI, 02852
  • Grant amount: $301,680

Business: AMPO INC

  • North Kingstown, RI, 02852
  • Grant amount: $187,170

Business: DAVID BERNATH

  • North Kingstown, RI, 02852
  • Grant amount: $174,464

Business: BREAKFAST NOOK INC

  • North Kingstown, RI, 02852
  • Grant amount: $127,382

Business: TATES INC

  • North Kingstown, RI, 02852
  • Grant amount: $126,218

Business: JITTERS CAFE

  • N Kingstown, RI, 02852
  • Grant amount: $91,368

Business: Subway Of Nkri LLC

  • North Kingstown, RI, 02852
  • Franchise: Subway
  • Grant amount: $68,969

Business: BAPSANG LLC

  • North Kingstown, RI, 02852
  • Grant amount: $28,092

Calls for more aid from industry leaders

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund received praise from industry members for its simplicity, but many applicants were shut out when funding dried up in June.

Nationwide, restaurants submitted more than 278,000 applications, totaling $72.23 billion in requested aid. Around 177,000 applicants were denied grants.

There was also confusion about prioritization of funds. The SBA originally prioritized funding for restaurants owned by women, veterans and underserved populations. Some business owners sued, and the SBA ended the practice; around 3,000 priority applicants had grants rescinded, according to The New York Times.

The restaurant industry has lost around $290 billion in sales since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the National Restaurant Association. Some 90,000 restaurants closed permanently or long-term.

The bipartisan Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act proposal would provide $60 billion in additional funding for the program if passed.

“The success of the RRF so far is, in large part, because the SBA focused on making the program simple and accessible,” NRA Vice President Sean Kennedy said in a statement. “We appreciate how swiftly they were able to establish a program unlike anything they had administrated before, and believe it has the structure to sustain additional funding.”

Editor’s note: This post was automatically generated using data from the SBA. Feedback can be sent to content@patch.com.

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