Locally-owned Northern and Central California restaurants will receive a financial boost from the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) and The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation) through grants to invest in equipment upgrades, workforce training and more — all intended to help increase their longevity and business success.
The PG&E Foundation’s $900,000 charitable contribution to CRF this year will fund $5,000 grants to 77 hometown restaurants in 23 counties in Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s service area, as well as operating support for CRF. The funding will also support a second round of grants to be announced in the fall.
The Foundation’s contribution to CRF’s Restaurants Care Resilience Fund current grant cycle will help grantees pay for equipment and technology upgrades, unforeseen hardship, employee retention bonuses and training to help restaurant owners invest in their business and people. Grants were made available to California resident restaurant owners with fewer than five units and less than $3 million in revenue, and prioritized minority- and women-owned businesses.
“With the generosity of The PG&E Corporation Foundation, the Resilience Fund helped California’s independent restaurant community for a third consecutive year,” said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of CRF. “It’s apparent that there is still a significant need for restaurant assistance, as we received 25 percent more applications this year than last. 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.”
In 2021 and 2022, PG&E and PG&E Foundation’s charitable contribution totaled $1.4 million and supported 367 restaurants with grants. With this year’s contribution, the combined total is now $2.3 million supporting a total of 444 restaurants, with an additional grant period still to come in the fall.
“Our hometown restaurants are the hearts and souls of our communities, and many are family-owned or operated by local residents with deep roots in the neighborhoods they serve. We’re grateful for the California Restaurant Foundation’s partnership and leadership in helping to ensure our local restaurants can continue to be the gathering spots for friends and families. When our small businesses thrive, our communities thrive,” said PG&E Corporation Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer Carla Peterman.
For more information on PG&E Small and Medium Business customer support visit pge.com/smbsupport.
For more information on the California Restaurant Foundation, Restaurants Care, or the Restaurant Resilience Fund, visit restaurantscare.org.
