California Restaurant Fund Awards $1.4M to 282 Independents

California independent restaurants are getting $1.41 million in grants from the California Restaurant Foundation's Resilience Fund, the nonprofit said Tuesday. The money will go to 282 businesses, each receiving $5,000.

Eighty-five percent of the recipients are single-unit operations. They employ a combined 3,383 people, according to the foundation. The grants can be used for kitchen equipment and technology upgrades, or for employee training.

The fund is supported by PG&E Corporation Foundation and SoCalGas, both long-time partners. Since 2021, the program has given aid to 2,369 restaurants.

Alycia Harshfield, president of the CRF, called independent restaurants "the heart of California's communities." Javier Cuadra, owner of URBANA in Anaheim, said the grants help "stay resilient and strengthen our business."

The foundation is accepting donations for future rounds.