FRESNO COUNTY – This September, 35 restaurants in South Fresno and Kings and Tulare counties will receive $2,500 each in grants from SoCalGas.
The program, promoted by the Latino Restaurant Association (LRA), is geared toward supporting local restaurants whose owners are of Latino heritage and have contributed to the Latino community.
In a press release, LRA CEO Lilly Rocha said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with SoCalGas to support our local restaurants, especially those owned by members of the Latino community. This grant program is designed to help these businesses thrive and continue contributing to our vibrant local economy.”
Rocha added that by providing these grants to restaurants in South Fresno, Kings, and Tulare Counties, they aim to support the essential needs of those establishments. “We believe in the power of our local restaurants and their significant contributions to the Latino community,” Rocha said.
According to the press release, restaurant owners must satisfy the following requirements:
- Own up to three restaurant locations;
- Generate less than $1 million in annual revenue per location;
- Have been in business for more than three years;
- Must be a current SoCalGas business customer; and
- Be a member of the Latino Restaurant Association (Free two-year memberships are available to restaurants in South Fresno, Kings, and Visalia Counties.
Andy Carrasco, vice president of communications, local government and community affairs at SoCalGas and member of the Latino Restaurant Association Board of Directors, said in the release, “At SoCalGas we value diverse, local restaurants and recognize the contributions they make to our communities. We are glad to support the LRA in providing grants for small restaurants. These grants will provide some relief and can be used toward the purchase of interior equipment, technology upgrades, employee benefits or other changes that will support their small business.”
The application process opened on July 30, 2024 and ends Aug. 23, 2024. Applicants will be notified Sept. 2, 2024 regarding their application status. Grant recipients will be announced Sept. 9. 2024.
For more information on the grant program or to apply, please visit the Latino Restaurant Association’s website at https://latinorestaurantassociation.org/.
