CONGRESSMAN MORELLE, LOCAL RESTAURATAEURS CELEBRATE HOUSE PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION TO REPLENISH RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION FUND

(Rochester, NY) – Today, Congressman Joe Morelle joined with local business leaders and local restaurateurs to announce the passage of legislation he sponsored, the Relief for Restaurants and Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act, to help local establishments keep their doors open and save thousands of jobs. Morelle was joined at the press conference by numerous local restauranteurs including representatives from Salena's, Good Luck, Lento, Rohrbach’s, and Marshall Street.

“I’m proud to announce I have delivered on my promise of passing legislation in the House to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “Restaurants are the cornerstone of our local economy, and I’m pleased to secure the essential support they deserve as we recover from the challenges of the pandemic. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to join me in swiftly passing this legislation to provide Rochester’s dining establishments with the resources they need to keep their doors open."

“If you take away even one of Rochester’s restaurants, you take away an essential part of our culture and renown – not to mention jobs that are needed to support our families and regional economy,” said Bob Duffy, President and CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. “With restaurants and bars being one of the hardest hit industries during COVID, replenishing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund will give even more of these Greater Rochester businesses a fighting chance to get back on their feet. We thank Congressman Morelle for his tireless efforts on this issue, and urge swift passage of this legislation into law.”

"The RRF program was a critical financial lifeline for many struggling restaurants at the height of the pandemic. However only 35% of New York restaurants who applied received funding,” said Kelly Metras, President of Rochester Chapter of NYS Restaurant Association. “Unfortunately, that left nearly 65% of restaurant operators without assistance and who are still reeling from the economic devastation of the past two years. Replenishing RRF will provide additional resources for struggling restaurants to see another day and help make up for revenue lost. We know how beneficial the RRF program is, and now we must ensure many more are afforded the same relief."

The American Rescue Plan included $28.6 billion in emergency relief to the restaurant industry and is estimated to have saved 100,000 jobs. However, the need was far greater than the fund provided, and it quickly ran out leaving many applicants out of the equation. In February, Rep. Morelle joined local Rochester area restaurateurs to announce his sponsorship of H.R. 3807, Relief for Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act. In addition to sponsoring this legislation, Rep. Morelle sent multiple letters to Congressional leadership and President Biden urging the swift replenishment of this fund. In response to the needs of our community, additional allocations have been made to help other small businesses who were previously ineligible for assistance, such as gyms.
 

H.R. 3807, the Relief for Restaurants and Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act will:

• Provide $42 billion in emergency assistance to bars and restaurants.

• Create a new Hard Hit Industries Award Program, providing an additional $13 billion to small businesses that were hardest hit by the pandemic but not eligible for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund or Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program.

• Pay for itself with funds reclaimed by the Federal Government from those attempting to defraud previous recovery programs.