FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2023
Contact: Kelly Itatani ▪ Powerhouse+Co. ▪ 949-261-2216 ▪ Kelly@powerhouseandco.com

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Dec 11, 2023) – The California Restaurant Foundation (CRF), a nonprofit that invests in and empowers California restaurants and their workforce, is pleased to award 182 independent restaurants with $5,000 grants as part of this year’s second round of the Restaurants Care® Resilience Fund. The second cycle of grants was made possible by thoughtful 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 2021. Recipients can use the $5,000 assistance for equipment and technology upgrades, unforeseen hardship, employee retention bonuses and employee training, all of which allow California’s independent restaurant owners to invest in the longevity of their business and employees.

Of the 182 restaurants awarded, 88 restaurants are in SoCalGas’ service area, 77 in PG&E’s and 17 in SDG&E’s. Since the Resilience Fund’s inception, the fund has provided financial assistance to 1,325 independent restaurants across California. Sixty-six percent of grant winners identify as female and 77 percent identify as people of color.

“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,” said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of CRF. “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.”

Impressively, the Resilience Fund has invested nearly $6 million into California’s independent restaurant community since 2021. Restaurants Care is currently accepting additional support from corporations, foundations and individuals who want to lend a hand to California’s vibrant restaurant community. Donations of all sizes are accepted and celebrated at https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/9Vfo6w?vid=12j9ru.

For more information about the California Restaurant Foundation, Restaurants Care, or the Resilience Fund, please visit www.restaurantscare.org.

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About the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF):

California is home to more than 90,000 eating and drinking places that ring up more than $72 billion in sales and employ more than 1.6 million workers, making restaurants an indisputable driving force in the state’s economy. The California Restaurant Foundation is a non-profit that empowers and invests in California’s restaurant workforce. Founded in 1981, CRF supports the restaurant community through relief grants for restaurant workers facing a hardship, job and life skills training for 13,500 high school students each year, and scholarships. For more information visit www.calrestfoundation.org.

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