MENDOCINO CO., 4/9/25 – Applications opened Wednesday for the annual Restaurant Cares Resilience Fund which will award $5,000 grants to over 230 restaurants across the state, the California Restaurant Foundation said.
The fund was created in 2021 by the foundation in response to the economic impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the restaurant industry. The foundation is the nonprofit arm of the California Restaurant Association, a lobbying group that advocates for the restaurant industry.
The grant is partially funded by the PG&E Corporation Foundation.
Since the fund’s inception, 1,603 independently owned restaurants have received $7.3 million in grants, the restaurant foundation said. Three of those restaurants are in Mendocino County: The Boonville Hotel and Restaurant in Boonville, Cafe Beaujolais in Mendocino, and The Loose Caboose in Willits.
To be eligible, restaurants must be in PG&E’s service area (which includes Mendocino County), have no more than five locations, and generate less than $3 million in annual revenue per location.Â
According to the foundation, the grants can be used for technology upgrades, kitchen equipment, employee training and unexpected hardships.
The fund is meant to help restaurants be more resilient in the face of adversity, Alycia Harshfield, president of the restaurant foundation said.
“The Resilience Fund was born out of a deep commitment to California’s independent restaurants and the passionate people behind them who pour their hearts into every meal they serve,” she said.
Restaurant Cares Resilience Fund grant applications are open now through April 26. More information can be found at https://restaurantscare.org/resilience-general. Â