LGBTQ+-owned Restaurateurs Receive $100K Grants from US Covid Relief Fund

Three LGBTQ+-owned restaurant businesses have received $100,000 grants from a $2 million Covid relief fund, confirmed the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBTQ+ community across the US. FOODE + Mercantile, Café Gabriela, Pitchers DC and League of Her Own, serving communities in Fredericksburg, Va., Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C., were granted $100,000 each at the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Back to Business (B2B) Summit 2021 this week.

These small business owners are among the first recipients of the $2 million COVID-19 relief funds generated by the NGLCC in partnership with Grubhub, a leading U.S. food-ordering and delivery marketplace, to support struggling LGBTQ+ owned and LGBTQ+ ally establishments.

Over the past two years, these small business owners have been among the hardest hit by the global pandemic with loss of jobs and income alongside rising operating costs. "The impact of COVID-19 has been debilitating for countless restaurant and bar owners, including the many LGBTQ+-owned restaurants across the country who have persisted through lockdowns, operational changes and labor and supply shortages," said NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson. "We're grateful to have partnered with Grubhub to offer real lifelines to support businesses throughout the nation. America's 1.4 million LGBTQ+-owned business owners have shown incredible resilience over the past two years, and as we travel along this road to full recovery, we are proud to continue being partners for many in our community."

COVID-19 has "turned the restaurant industry on its head over the last 18 plus months", added Amy Healy, vice president of government relations for Grubhub. “At Grubhub, we've been working hard every day to support our restaurant partners across the country. As the world starts to return to a new normal, we're proud to partner with the NGLCC and provide these grants to LGBTQ+ owned and LGBTQ+ ally-owned restaurants across the country that are pillars of their communities."

Commenting on the award, Penny Baldado, owner of Café Gabriela, said: "As a trans-masculine and queer, immigrant person of color, I've worked hard and put all my love and energy into building a beautiful and welcoming space in Café Gabriela. I've remained resilient through COVID and this grant is the injection of funds that we need to continue along our journey to full recovery.”

David Perruzza, owner of League of Her Own and Pitchers DC, was also “relieved and thankful for these funds”, and “looking forward to more stable days ahead”. Joy Crump, founding partner and chef of FOODE + Mercantile, shared Perruzza’s sentiment: "The past 18 months have been some of the most challenging in my career. Restaurant people are resilient people, but we are forever changed, and these funds will be crucial as we continue to evolve with new technologies and tools to help us compete in this new normal.”

The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and Grubhub partnered for the month of June for Grubhub's Donate the Change program, where diners could opt-in, round up their order total, and donate the difference to the NGLCC. Applications for the grant program, ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, opened in September. Recipients were selected based on criteria including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses as well as the restaurants' plans to use the grant money to recover from the pandemic. Following this initial round of recipients, more grants will be issued in late 2021 and early 2022.

Of the over 100 grants to be awarded, 30% of the funds available are intended for businesses owned by people of color and transgender/gender non-conforming individuals. For more information on the Community Impact Grant Program visit www.nglcc.org/ghgrant.