22 Los Angeles Eateries Win Restaurants Care Resilience Grant For 2023

LOS ANGELES, CA —A total of 22 Los Angeles restaurants were among 182 Southern and Central California eateries that received $5,000 grants from the Restaurants Care Resilience fund, the fund spokesperson announced Monday.

The grant program, which can be used to strengthen businesses and retain employees, began as a response to the pandemic in 2021. It has since evolved into a permanent fund to build resilience within our restaurant community, a spokesperson for the fund said.

All grant winners are given means to purchase kitchen equipment, technical upgrades, employee training and bonuses, and unforeseen hardships. This second cycle of grants was made possible by donations from SoCalGas, The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation), and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), which have contributed to the fund since it first began.

Southern California restaurant owner and grant winner EJ Smith talked to Patch about what earning the award means to his Murrieta business.

"We are super excited that our Famous PUDN restaurant was picked to win a $5,000 grant from the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund to help with equipment and employee training/bonuses," he said. "The timing was perfect because the 4th quarter has been a little slower than anticipated, even though we did great for Thanksgiving. We hope for an even better Christmas this year than last year because we've added a great gift card promotion. Only time will tell."

In Los Angeles, the following 22 restaurants received the award:

1. Mahan Indian Restaurantm, Alhambra
2. El Criollo Peruvian Cuisine, City of Industry
3. Roca del Mar, Lancaster
4. 33 Taps, Silver Lake
5. Rosebud Coffee, Pasadena
6. Lusy's Mediterranean Cafe & Grill, Valley Glen
7. White Springs Cafe, Arcadia
8. Woodlands Indian Cuisine, Chatsworth
9. Josephine's Special Empanadas, City of Industry
10. Gingko Katsu & Tea House, Diamond Bar
11. Yupdduk, Diamond Bar
12. Jin Sushi, Downey
13. New Mandarin Garden Restaurants, Los Angeles
14. Boom Boom Chicken, Palmdale
15. Jessie's Mexican & Seafood Restaurant Inc, Azusa
16. Senor Birria, Downey
17. La Cocina de los Reyes, La Puente
18. La Poblana Restaurants, La Puente
19. Rio Brazilian Grill, Lancaster
20. HMS Bounty, Los Angeles
21. Don Chatos, Palmdale
22. Pressed + Flower, Azusa

"Since 2021, the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund has awarded $5.94 million in grants to 1,325 independent restaurants throughout California," they said. The restaurants include burger joints, taquerias, bakeries, and more at the heart of every community." Many of these restaurants represent family legacies and life-long dreams."

Here are a few statistics about restaurants that apply for the grant. Most have been in business for around ten years, and 92% are single-unit restaurants. Of the applicants, 66% of the restaurants are owned by women, and 77% are owned by people of color.

On average, each restaurant employs 11 people – over 10,000 employees who will benefit from the resilience fund grant statewide. A new grant of up to $2,500 is directly earmarked for cooks, servers, dishwashers, and other workers when they face an unforeseen hardship.

Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of the California Restaurant Foundation, discussed the most recent grant awards.

"We are thrilled to close out our biggest Resilience Fund year yet by awarding 182 restaurant owners with these business-supporting grants, especially as they enter the holiday season and new year," Harshfield said. "We are confident that our new cohort of deserving restaurant owners will use their grants to strengthen their business resiliency and further cultivate a vibrant food scene across California. SoCalGas, The PG&E Corporation Foundation, and SDG&E have been such wonderful partners to us, and we look forward to continuing to work with them to support locally owned restaurants up and down the state."

The organization actively seeks more supporters, and donations of all sizes are accepted and celebrated. Visit www.restaurantscare.org/resilience for more information.

See the complete list of Fall 2023 grantees here.

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Renée Zellweger Visit Puts Murrieta's Famous PUDN On Hollywood Map