Registration for Restaurant Revitalization Fund Opens Tomorrow

4.29.21  |  Business

Registration for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) will begin tomorrow, Friday, April 30 at 9 a.m. EDT and the SBA will begin accepting applications via the application portal on Monday, May 3 at 12 p.m. EDT. The application portal will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted.

The SBA urges applicants to have all information and supporting documentation prepared in advance so that they may complete the application easily and quickly on Monday, May 3rd.

How to Prepare

In preparation, qualifying applicants should familiarize themselves with the application process in advance to ensure a smooth and efficient application. Follow the steps below.

You can apply through SBA-recognized Point of Sale (POS) vendors or directly via SBA in a forthcoming online application portal: https://restaurants.sba.gov. Participating POS providers include Square, Toast, Clover, NCR Corporation (Aloha). If you are working with Square or Toast, you do not need to register beforehand on the https://restaurants.sba.gov application portal.

Registration with SAM.gov is not required. DUNS or CAGE identifiers are also not required.

If you would like to prepare your application, view the sample application form. You will be able to complete this form online. Please do not submit RRF forms to SBA at this time. Sample form: SBA Form 3172

Additional documentation required:
  • Verification for Tax Information: IRS Form 4506-T, completed and signed by Applicant. Completion of this form digitally on the SBA platform will satisfy this requirement.
  • Gross Receipts Documentation: Any of the following documents demonstrating gross receipts and, if applicable, eligible expenses
    • Business tax returns (IRS Form 1120 or IRS 1120-S)
    • IRS Forms 1040 Schedule C; IRS Forms 1040 Schedule F
    • For a partnership: partnership’s IRS Form 1065 (including K-1s)
    • Bank statements
    • Externally or internally prepared financial statements such as Income Statements or Profit and Loss Statements
    • Point of sale report(s), including IRS Form 1099-K
  • Applicants will be asked to provide 3 months of bank statements with operating expenses. If you have multiple accounts, have three months for each account. If you bank account does not show operating expenses you will be asked to provide further documentation, which could delay your application.

Please note: The SBA prefers gross receipts be provided in the form of your 2019 and 2020 tax returns. Using any of the other documents above will satisfy the requirement, however it can delay the review of your application by 14 days.

For applicants that are a brewpub, tasting room, taproom, brewery, winery, distillery, or bakery:

  • Documents evidencing that onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33.00% of gross receipts for 2019, which may include Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) Forms 5130.9 or TTB. For businesses who opened in 2020, the Applicant’s original business model should have contemplated at least 33.00% of gross receipts in onsite sales to the public.

For applicants that are an inn:

  • Documents evidencing that onsite sales of food and beverage to the public comprise at least 33.00% of gross receipts for 2019. For businesses who opened in 2020, the Applicant’s original business model should have contemplated at least 33.00% of gross receipts in onsite sales to the public.
Priority groups
  • A small business concern that is at least 51 percent ownedby one or more individuals who are:
    • Women, or
    • Veterans, or
    • Socially and economically disadvantaged (see below).
  • Applicants must self-certify on the application that they meet eligibility requirements
  • Socially disadvantaged individuals are those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias because of their identity as a member of a group without regard to their individual qualities.
  • Economically disadvantaged individualsare those socially disadvantaged individuals whose ability to compete in the free enterprise system has been impaired due to diminished capital and credit opportunities as compared to others in the same business area who are not socially disadvantaged.

For the first 21 days the program is open, the SBA will prioritize funding applications from businesses owned by one of the groups listed above. Following the 21 days, all eligible applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Set Asides

  1. $5 billion is set aside for applicants with 2019 gross receipts of not more than $500,000
  2. An additional $4 billion is set-aside for applicants with 2019 gross receipts from $500,001 to $1,500,000
  3. An additional $500 million is set-aside for applicants with 2019 gross receipts of not more than $50,000

*SBA reserves the right to reallocate these funds at the discretion of the Administrator.

Funding Amount

Payment calculations

Calculation 1: for applicants in operation prior to or on January 1, 2019:

  • 2019 gross receipts minus 2020 gross receipts minus PPP loan amounts

Calculation 2: for applicants that began operations partially through 2019:

  • (Average 2019 monthly gross receipts x 12) minus 2020 gross receipts minus PPP loan amounts

Calculation 3: for applicants that began operations on or between January 1, 2020 and March 10, 2021 and applicants not yet opened but have incurred eligible expenses:

  • Amount spent on eligible expenses between February 15, 2020 and March 11, 2021 minus 2020 gross receipts minus 2021 gross receipts (through March 11, 2021) minus PPP loan amounts

For those entities who began operations partially through 2019, you may elect (at your own discretion) to use either calculation 2 or calculation 3.

The funds will be disbursed via direct deposit, please have you online banking details (Name of Institution, Username, and Password) readily available. Manual entry of the routing number and account number is acceptable, however it will delay the review of you application.

Maximum and minimum amounts

SBA may provide funding up to $5 million per location, not to exceed $10 million total for the applicant and any affiliated businesses. The minimum award is $1,000.

Gross receipts

For the purposes of this program, gross receipts does not include:

  • Amounts received from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans (First Draw or Second Draw)
  • Amounts received from Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)
  • Advances on EIDL (EIDL Advance and Targeted EIDL Advance)
  • State and local grants (via CARES Act or otherwise)
  • SBA Section 1112 payments

Allowable Use of Funds

Funds may be used for specific expenses including:

  • Business payroll costs (including sick leave)
  • Payments on any business mortgage obligation
  • Business rent payments (note: this does not include prepayment of rent)
  • Business debt service (both principal and interest; note: this does not include any prepayment of principal or interest)
  • Business utility payments
  • Business maintenance expenses
  • Construction of outdoor seating
  • Business supplies (including protective equipment and cleaning materials)
  • Business food and beverage expenses (including raw materials)
  • Covered supplier costs
  • Business operating expenses

Established under the American Rescue Plan, and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund provides a total of $28.6 billion in direct relief funds to restaurants and other hard-hit food establishments that have experienced economic distress and significant operational losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Funds must be used for allowable expenses by March 11, 2023.

For more information, visit sba.gov/restaurants. If you need assistance with your application, please contact Brian Vinciguerra at 856-533-3081.

 

Share this Post