Today, the US Small Business Administration announced that registrations for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant program will begin this Friday, April 30 2021 at 9 am EDT and applications will begin acceptance on Monday, May 3, 2021 at 12 pm EDT.  The online application will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted. FRLA encourages all eligible establishments to prepare by:

• Registering for an account in advance at restaurants.sba.gov starting Friday, April 30, 2021, at 9 a.m. EDT.
• Reviewing the official guidance, including program guide, frequently asked questions, and application sample.
• Preparing the required documentation.
• Working with a point-of-sale vendor or visiting restaurants.sba.gov to submit an application when the application portal opens. [Note: If an applicant is working with a point-of-sale vendor, they do not need to register beforehand on the site.]

FRLA is also co-hosting a webinar this Thursday, April 20, at 10 am with the SBA and the National Restaurant Association. Register now to make sure you are prepared to get RRF funding.

TALLAHASSEE – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida announced an historic new gaming compact which will bring at least $2.5 billion in revenue to the state in the next five years and an expected $6 billion through the end of this decade.

Contact: Office of Communications, (850) 617-7737  Twitter: @FDACS & @NikkiFriedFL

Tallahassee, Fla. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the availability of the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund, for which Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried encouraged Florida restaurants and other eligible businesses to apply. This week, the federal agency shared key details on application requirements, eligibility, and a program guide for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). The American Rescue Plan, signed into law by President Joe Biden, established the fund to help revive the restaurant industry. The SBA will administer the funds to the hardest-hit small restaurants.

The restaurant industry has been among the hardest-hit sectors during COVID-19. According to the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA), approximately 10,000 restaurants in Florida have closed, with 65 percent of Florida restaurant operators reporting lower revenue; despite this, 83 percent of Florida restaurant operators have made charitable donations throughout COVID-19, including cash, food, in-kind services, and volunteerism. Restaurants are a key market for Florida agricultural products, including seafood, meat, and fresh seasonal produce such as tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and fruit.

“Restaurant owners and small businesses in the restaurant industry have really been impacted by COVID-19. So many local restaurants are beloved community gathering places and have had to make tough decisions, from staffing and hiring to even staying in business,” said Commissioner Fried. “With restaurants a crucial partner for Florida’s farmers and ranchers, I encourage all eligible Florida restaurant businesses to take advantage of these federal recovery funds, especially women, veteran, and disadvantaged restaurant operators. These small businesses feed our families, support our neighbors, and are the backbone of our communities.”

“Since day one of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked with state and federal leaders to achieve financial relief and save Florida’s restaurants,’ said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA). “We are thrilled with the passage of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which is a lifeline for our operators who are trying to keep their doors open and their staff employed. We encourage all Florida restaurants, bars, and other eligible recipients to prepare for the launch of the program to secure these much-needed funds.”

The SBA draft application, a background document, and an FAQ document may all be found on FRLA’s website. Additional details on application requirements, eligibility, and a program guide may be found from the SBA in English at www.SBA.gov/restaurants or in Spanish at www.SBA.gov/restaurantes. Eligible entities who have experienced pandemic-related revenue loss include restaurants, food stands, food trucks and carts, caterers, bars, bakeries, brewpubs, wineries, distilleries, and many others.

Application Portal Pilot: Ahead of the application launch and over the next two weeks, the SBA will establish a seven-day pilot period for the RRF application portal and conduct extensive outreach and training. The pilot period will be used to address technical issues ahead of the public launch. Participants in this pilot will be randomly selected from existing PPP borrowers in priority groups for RRF and will not receive funds until the application portal is open to the public.

Priority for Disadvantaged Applicants: Following the pilot, the application portal will be opened to the public. The official application launch date will be announced at a later date. For the first 21 days that the program is open, the SBA will prioritize reviewing applications from small businesses owned by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Following the 21-day period, all eligible applicants are encouraged to submit applications. The groundwork for this announcement is the result of a comprehensive effort to reach out to diverse stakeholders in order to understand the needs and barriers restaurants face in accessing emergency relief aid.

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The IRS and Treasury Department issued guidance yesterday allowing a 100% business deduction for food or beverages purchased from restaurants, from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022. For clarity, the term “restaurant” means a business that prepares and sells food or beverages to retail customers for immediate consumption, regardless of whether the food or beverages are consumed on the business’s premises.

Businesses can temporarily deduct 100% beginning Jan. 1, 2021

WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service today issued Notice 2021-25 providing guidance under the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Relief Act of 2020. The Act added a temporary exception to the 50% limit on the amount that businesses may deduct for food or beverages. The temporary exception allows a 100% deduction for food or beverages from restaurants.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2022, businesses can claim 100% of their food or beverage expenses paid to restaurants as long as the business owner (or an employee of the business) is present when food or beverages are provided and the expense is not lavish or extravagant under the circumstances.

Where can businesses get food and beverages and claim 100%?

Under the temporary provision, restaurants include businesses that prepare and sell food or beverages to retail customers for immediate on-premises and/or off-premises consumption.  However, restaurants do not include businesses that primarily sell pre-packaged goods not for immediate consumption, such as grocery stores and convenience stores.

Additionally, an employer may not treat certain employer-operated eating facilities as restaurants, even if these facilities are operated by a third party under contract with the employer.

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Legislation Would Expand Tourist and Convention Development Tax Uses

MEDIA CONTACT

Ashley Chambers: achambers@frla.org

TALLAHASSEE – Yesterday, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) sent a letter to members of the Florida Senate Committee on Community Affairs strongly opposing Senate Bill 2008, which would expand the approved uses of Florida’s Tourist Development Taxes and Convention Development Taxes. The approved uses of those taxes were adopted by voter referendum for the purpose of promoting and marketing tourism in Florida.

“No industry in Florida has been hit harder than the tourism and hospitality industries,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA). “With an historic drop in visitors from 134 million to 86 million last year – the lowest in a decade – it is more important than ever to protect our tourism dollars and the stated mission of those dollars – to promote tourism so that we can bring back our guests and continue to rebuild.”

The opposition letter, linked here, was co-signed by the FRLA Executive Chairman Jim Shirley and Vice Chair Olivia Hoblit.

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TALLAHASSEE – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law SB 72 on Civil Liability for Damages Relating to COVID-19. The passage of this legislation has been a top priority for the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) and the hospitality industry. FRLA and its members have been working with the Legislature and the Governor’s Office to enact meaningful and certain legislation to prevent frivolous lawsuits as the industry tries to recover from the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“On behalf of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, our 10,000 members, and the statewide hospitality industry, we applaud Governor Ron DeSantis for signing this critical legislation to protect Florida businesses,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA). “I also want to thank House Speaker Sprowls, Senate President Simpson, and the bill sponsors Senator Jeff Brandes and Representative Lawrence McClure, as well as CFO Patronis who has championed COVID-19 protections for our industry. Our hotels, restaurants, and suppliers join other businesses across Florida in breathing a collective sigh of relief that they can continue to safely operate and welcome their guests without fear of nuisance litigation.”

WHAT THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS SAYING:

“As a small business owner and independent restaurateur, the signing of the COVID-19 liability protections into law allows me to focus on keeping my team members employed and our guests happy,” said Chef Jim Shirley, Owner of Chef Jim Shirley Enterprises, operator of multiple restaurants in the Florida Panhandle, and Chairman of the Board for FRLA. “On behalf of small business owners across the state, I commend the Governor for taking this action and helping protect businesses who are doing the right thing to promote sanitation and safety.

“Speaking as one of the over 42,000 small business owners who continued to safely serve frontline and health care workers, first responders, and law-enforcement during an unfathomably difficult year and proudly re-employing hospitality workers in our restaurants, we are relieved that the COVID-19 liability law was signed by Governor DeSantis,” said Mike Quillen, President of Gecko’s Hospitality Group in Sarasota. “Taking this additional contrived threat off our plates will allow us to get back to the business of safely running our restaurants and continuing to create career opportunity and economic stimulus to help the great state of Florida recover.”

“We at Blue Bamboo Restaurant and Bar are thrilled over Governor DeSantis’ signing of a COVID liability protection bill, “said Dennis Chan, Chef, Owner, and Operator of Blue Bamboo. “We have had a rough year, but now some of the uncertainty of our recovery is clear. Our legislators and Governor DeSantis have just helped prove that Florida is open for business.”

“It has been an incredibly difficult year for restaurants as we recover from shutdowns, loss of visitors, and now labor shortages,” said Carlos Gazitua, President of Sergio’s Family Restaurants. ”Facing the threat of lawsuits was an additional concern for our industry, and with his signing of the COVID liability legislation into law, Governor DeSantis has taken a critical step to help restaurants move forward to a recovery and put this terrible year behind us.”

“With these new COVID-19 liability protections in place, it gives us the confidence in opening new operations in the near future,” said Drew McLeod, FMP, Owner and Operator of Savour. “It was the one obstacle we had before moving forward on a new concept.“

“I applaud the Governor and Florida Legislature for passing this important bill,” said Sheldon Suga, Vice President and Managing Director of Hawks Cay Resort in Duck Key and Immediate Past Chair of the FRLA Executive Committee. “We care about our guests and their safety, and this will allow responsible businesses to continue to rebuild our industry.”

“Confidence is essential to our pandemic recovery,” said Lisa Lombardo, Chief People and Culture Officer for HDG Hotels. “Governor DeSantis’ signing of the COVID liability acknowledges all that our industry has put into effect to protect our team members and guests, while also allowing for measures to be taken if there is a harmful gap in a business’s practices. Today, our Governor stood by business owners without compromising constituents’ welfare. This is a tremendous confidence boost for all stakeholders: business owners, consumers, visitors – all of us in Florida.”

“This is great common-sense legislation coming from Tallahassee today with the signing of this bill,” said John Horne, Owner and Operator of Anna Maria Oyster Bar. “It is so very important to those of us in business that have been doing everything in our power to open up safely for our staff and our guests. Not having to worry about Covid-related nuisance lawsuits and the expense to respond is a huge relief. Thanks to our legislators and Governor DeSantis for this.”

“Hotels and restaurants have the highest standards and have gone above and beyond to make our guests feel safe during the pandemic,” said Roger Amidon, General Manager for Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa. “As an industry we have brand standards, CDC standards, and have taken extra sanitation precautions to provide a safe and enjoyable vacation for people who want to travel to Florida. The implementation of this legislation allows us to continue to focus on guest and team member safety as we have been for the last year.”

“I applaud the Governor and Florida Legislature for passing this important bill,” said Sheldon Suga, Vice President and Managing Director of Hawks Cay Resort in Duck Key and Immediate Past Chair of the FRLA Executive Committee. “We care about our guests and their safety, and this will allow responsible business to continue to rebuild our industry.

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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration is increasing the maximum amount small businesses and non-profit organizations can borrow through its COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Starting the week of April 6, 2021, the SBA is raising the loan limit for the COVID-19 EIDL program from 6-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $150,000 to up to 24-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $500,000.

“More than 3.7 million businesses employing more than 20 million people have found financial relief through SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans, which provide low-interest emergency working capital to help save their businesses. However, the pandemic has lasted longer than expected, and they need larger loans. Many have called on SBA to remove the $150,000 cap. We are here to help our small businesses and that is why I’m proud to more than triple the amount of funding they can access ,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.

Businesses that receive a loan subject to the current limits do not need to submit a request for an increase at this time.  SBA will reach out directly via email and provide more details about how businesses can request an increase closer to the April 6 implementation date.  Any new loan applications and any loans in process when the new loan limits are implemented will automatically be considered for loans covering 24 months of economic injury up to a maximum of $500,000.

This new relief builds on SBA’s previous March 12, 2021 announcement that the agency would extend deferment periods for all disaster loans, including COVID-19 EIDLs, until 2022 to offer more time for businesses to build back. In order to shift all EIDL payments to 2022, SBA will extend the first payment due date for disaster loans made in 2020 to 24-months from the date of the note and to 18-months from the date of the note for all loans made in the calendar year 2021.

Questions about SBA COVID-19 EIDL and disaster loan payments can be emailed to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or directed to SBA’s Customer Service Center at
1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard of hearing).

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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.­

Hospitality Association Praises Governor DeSantis’ opening of vaccines to all Florida adults beginning April 5

  TALLAHASSEE – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida residents age 40 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Monday, March 29, and all Florida residents age 18 and older will be eligible for the vaccine beginning April 5.

“From day one of the COVID-19 pandemic over a year ago, we have worked with Governor DeSantis and other state and federal leaders to help Florida’s hospitality industry through this difficult time,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA). “From business losses and plummeting consumer confidence to re-opening and recovery, FRLA has advocated every single day for policies and practices that would help our restaurants, hotels, and suppliers survive this crisis and begin to rebuild. Opening the vaccines to residents age 18 and older in the coming days is a huge victory for our hospitality industry, not just for our guests, but for our 1.5 million employees. On behalf of FRLA and Florida’s hospitality industry, we thank Governor DeSantis for his leadership throughout this emergency, for his support for our industry, and for opening up the vaccine eligibility to help us build consumer confidence and move forward.”

In Governor DeSantis’ press announcement, he encouraged all Floridians to pre-register at myvaccine.fl.gov. It stated that, once pre-registered, individuals will be contacted when the vaccine is available in their area. Floridians can also call the vaccine preregistration phone number for their county, listed here. To watch the Governor’s full video announcement, click here.

Tonight, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it will be increasing the maximum amount small businesses and non-profit organizations can borrow through its COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.

Starting the week of April 6, the SBA will be raising the loan limit for the COVID-19 EIDL program from 6-months of working capital up to $150,000 to 24-months of working capital up to $500,000. According to the SBA, businesses that receive a loan subject to the current limits do not need to submit a request for an increase at this time.

SBA will reach out directly via email and provide more details about how businesses can request an increase closer to the April 6 implementation date. Any new loan applications and any loans in process when the new loan limits are implemented will automatically be considered for loans covering 24 months of economic injury up to a maximum of $500,000.

We will share more details as they become available.

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