HARTFORD, Conn. — *Editor's Note: The video above aired on March 18.*
Although things seem to be looking up for some restaurants in the state, many are still suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the closure of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, RRF, on July 6, only 1,303 applicant received grants, according to Senator Richard Blumenthal.
Officials reported a total number of 3,369 eligible applicants in Connecticut.
Senator Blumenthal, along with Mayor Luke Bronin held an emergency meeting Monday with various business owners to discuss what can be done to help them.
“This has been a brutal year and not many people have been hit harder than the restaurant industry,” Mayor Bronin said.
According to officials, due to the significant economic recovery needs of local restaurants, the RRF’s original $28.6 billion allocation is entirely depleted.
The owner of Black Eyed Sallies in downtown Hartford, James Varano pleaded to the senator for help.
“PPE money is pretty much gone and we don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to hang in there.”
Other restaurant owners also expressed concerns.
Kevin Henry who was in attendance on behalf of Parkville Market said they didn’t meet the definition of a restaurant, so the owner Carlos Mouta had to use his personal money to keep the vendors there.
Henry also said because they didn’t open prior to 2019, they were not eligible to receive any loans for Parkville Market.
The establishment lost an estimated $500,000 in revenue due to the pandemic.
Jonathan Jennings, executive vice president of CT Wedding Group, expressed his concern about how funding has been allocated to different venues/restaurants.
“There's an enormous competitive disadvantage between those who have received funding and those who haven’t,” Jennings said.
Blumenthal will be heading to Washington D.C. Monday to continue working on a bipartisan basis to add an additional $60 billion to the program, so that more people can receive the funds if they haven’t already.
The Senator believes congress shouldn’t take a recess without replenishing the business funds.
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