Rep. encourages bars and restaurants to apply for funds

State Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur encouraged local bar and restaurant owners to apply for financial help from the state’s Bar and Restaurant Assistance Fund in a press release.

The deadline to apply for funds is Jan. 31, according to the press release.

The fund is available to a number of different businesses with on-site liquor licenses, including bars, restaurants, breweries, distilleries and wineries, according to the Ohio Development Services Agency. After applying, eligible businesses will receive $2,500 per location, according to the Development Services Agency.

“With economic development and tourism so vital to our area of the state, I want to ensure our businesses are aware of the opportunities they have for available relief,” Fowler Arthur said in the release. “Businesses and workers have been hit with unprecedented hardships by this pandemic, and I am hoping this relief can provide at least some help while we work toward a full reopening and recovery of our state’s economy.”

There are more than 70 businesses in Ashtabula and Geauga counties that have not yet applied, Fowler said in the statement.

Money from the fund does not have to be repaid, but must be used for expenses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Development Services Agency.

The fund started taking applications on Nov. 2, according to the Development Services Agency. Funds for the program came from the CARES Act. It is one of a number of programs to help Ohio businesses and residents.

A grant program to help small businesses with $10,000 grants was opened in November, and funded with $125 million from the CARES Act. The application deadline for the program has closed.

Businesses with questions about their eligibility for the Bar and Restaurant Assistance Fund are encouraged to reach out to Fowler Arthur’s office at Rep99@ohiohouse.gov.