December 4, 2020 (RALEIGH, N.C.) – The North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA) announces that is has secured a $172,115 grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA). The grant funds will be used for in-house positions at NCRLA to provide technical support, resources and assistance directly to restaurants and hotels and their employees that have been adversely impacted by Covid-19.
“We are proud to receive this funding in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce and grateful to the many Senators and Members of Congress from the North Carolina delegation who supported our application,” said Lynn Minges, president and CEO of NCRLA. “These funds are critical as we help our state’s restaurants and hotels navigate the extreme challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The grant funds will be used for in-house positions at NCRLA to provide technical support, resources and assistance directly to restaurants and hotels and their employees in need across North Carolina. The Covid-19 pandemic has been especially devastating for restaurants and hotels and those they employ – many suffered immediate economic losses beginning in March which have been and sustained and unrelenting due to phased stay-at-home orders and a collapse of the travel market.
NCRLA is committed to helping facilitate the recovery of the hospitality industry by helping its members adapt, adjust and recover while also reimagining the industry going forward.
The grant’s full description reads:
“This EDA investment supports the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association with providing focused technical assistance directly to hospitality businesses across the state of North Carolina that were adversely impacted by COVID-19. The technical assistance will include support for restaurants navigating changing supply chains, web and marketing support and recommendations and support to identify loans and operational and regulatory issues that are posing challenges to companies looking to fully reopen. Once implemented, the project will strengthen the regional economy and advance economic resiliency throughout the region. The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on March 27, 2020, provides EDA with $1.5 billion for economic development assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.”
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