15 Mar Restaurant Revitalization Fund: A Deeper Look

EDIT: April 20, 2021 - The SBA has launched their website on the Restaurant Revitalization fund and has released a program guide (PDF). A DUNS number or a SAM.gov account will no longer be required.

In our blog post on the small business support included in the American Rescue Plan, it was clear that the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) will be a key opportunity for many of our hardest-hit businesses to recover. It is not yet known when applications for the RRF will become available, with the SBA stating that it will take "weeks, not months." While full details of this program are not yet available, this blog post will dive deeper into what we know right now about the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, how it can be used, and how to prepare to take advantage of it. Click here to skip right to the section on how to prepare to apply.

What is the Restaurant Revitalization Fund?

As part of the American Rescue Plan, signed into law on March 11, 2021, Congress recognized the great burden placed on restaurants, bars, and other similar places of business with the creation of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). This established a $28.6 billion fund that restaurants can use to cover up to all of their pandemic-related revenue losses. The amount is determined by subtracting 2020 revenue from 2019 revenue and providing a grant for the difference, minus any PPP loans received. For example, a restaurant that made $400,000 less in revenue in 2020 compared to 2019 and also received $100,000 in PPP loans would be eligible for a grant of $300,000. Separate calculations are used to cover businesses that opened in 2019, 2020, or haven't opened yet. These grants are not taxable and expenses covered by them can still be deducted as normal. Note: The RRF does not contain enough to cover all eligible restaurants without additional funding from Congress. As such, businesses eligible for a first or second draw PPP loan are urged to continue to take advantage of that despite the fact that it reduces the amount of the RRF grant.