Rep. Newman Announces More Than $64 Million in Grants Awarded to Local Restaurants and Venues in IL-03

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Marie Newman (D-IL-03) announced that so far this year, a total of $64.68 million in grants have been awarded to restaurants and local venues across Illinois' 3rd Congressional District. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan that Congresswoman Newman helped pass in the House, a total of 359 restaurants and venues in the district received grants from the Small Business Administration's Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program (SVOG), both of which were designed to support the hardest-hit businesses in the food, music and entertainment industry.

"As a former small business owner, I know that our local entrepreneurs and small businesses are the backbone of our economy. That's why I fought hard to ensure that the American Rescue Plan would lift up our hardest-hit businesses, venues and restaurants," said Congresswoman Newman. "I'm thrilled to announce that more than $64 million will be coming directly to our district to support those businesses who need the help the most. These investments are crucial to ensuring that our small businesses not only come back from this past year but can continue to enrich our communities and uplift our local economy."

Of the 351 RRF grants awarded in IL-03, more than 75% went towards businesses that were either women-owned or socio-economically disadvantaged. The average grant amount for a local restaurant in the district is $169,251 while the average amount of a shuttered venue grant is $659,829.

"Receiving this very generous grant allows the Beverly Arts Center to continue to provide an environment for artists and patrons alike to express themselves through the arts as we emerge from a common, traumatic experience," said Denise M. Powell, Executive Director of the Beverly Arts Center, an SVOG recipient.

As a member of the House Small Business Committee, Congresswoman Newman helped grow the RRF and SVOG programs during negotiations of the American Rescue Plan. In total, both programs have awarded more than 100,000 grants for a total of $33 billion.

The SVOG portal remains open and funding is still available for all eligible applicants until August 20. SBA's Office of Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET to provide technical assistance with the SVOG application portal and can be reached at 1-800-659-2955 or, for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, 1-800-877-8339.

Who Can Apply:

Live venue operators or promoters
Theatrical producers
Live performing arts organization operators
Relevant museum operators, zoos and aquariums who meet specific criteria
Motion picture theater operators
Talent representatives
Each business entity owned by an eligible entity that also meets the eligibility requirements
Venue operates can use their grants for:

Payroll costs
Rent payments
Utility payments
Worker protection expenditures

Source