Private Sector Team and Fund Donors Provided Support Through 2021
Last year, a private sector relief fund helped more than 40 hospitality establishments across Ontario with their financial setbacks bought on by the pandemic.
The Restaurant & Bar Support Fund -- www.RestaurantAndBarSupportFund.ca -- was established in January 2021 by a group of businessmen concerned with the projections of closures and bankruptcies in Ontario’s food and beverage sector.
The Fund was designed to provide additional financial support to Ontario hospitality establishments. Restaurant and bar owners who qualified were provided non-repayable grants ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 to assist with operation costs, from retaining staff to maintenance bills.
Tony Carvalho, a founding member of the Fund states, “Our group wanted to assist as many establishments as we could. Through our corporate partners, the volunteers who assisted, and all the individuals who donated through our GoFundMe page, we have made a modest contribution to a sector that is so important to so many and to the local economy.”
“Our hospitality establishments have experienced and continue to experience tremendous hardships with COVID-19. Now, that the Province has re-opened, I hope we continue to support our neighbourhood establishments by enjoying in-person dining.”
With the Province lifting the health and safety restrictions and businesses re-opening, the Restaurant & Bar Support Fund has balanced its books and is ending its fundraising efforts. All dollars raised by the Fund have been dispersed to the eligible Ontario businesses.
Carvalho reflects on the Fund’s impact, “We didn’t change the world, or the problems the pandemic continues to present, but the Fund was able to help over forty restaurants and bars keep their doors open. Through the donors’ generosity we were able to help with jobs and livelihoods and helped to keep alive the dreams of family-owned businesses.”
Carvalho adds, “I am certainly enjoying dining out and drinking with my friends again.”
The Restaurant & Bar Support Fund website -- www.RestaurantAndBarSupportFund.ca -- has full details of the fundraising efforts through 2021.
A list of all grant recipients can be found at https://www.restaurantandbarsupportfund.ca/grant-recepients
More information:
Tony Carvalho
416.276.5663