PARENTS’ CONCERNS OVER SCHOBUS SAFETY.
90 MINUTES OF LOCALCOVERAGE ON WFTX STARTS NOW.RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE BEEN HITHARD BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMICHAVE A CHANCE TO GET SOME HELP.THANKS FOR BEING WITH US THISMONDAY, I’M PATRICK NOLAN.AND I’M JANE MONREAL.APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEINGACCEPTED FOR THE RESTAURANTREVITALIZATION FUND.FOX 4’S CALVIN LEWIS SHOWS USHOW THIS GRANT MAY HELPRESTAURANTS REBOUND.ALL00-1036-49Reporter: RESTAURANTS ANDELIGIBLE BUSINESSES ARE GETTINGA HAND WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPINGTHEIR DOORS OPEN.IT’S THROUGH THE RESTAURANTREVITALIZATION FUND.THE PROGRAM PROVIDES FUNDINGEQUAL TO THAT BUSINESS’SPANDEMIC-RELATED REVENUE LOSS,WHICH CAN AMOUNT UP TO10-MILLION DOLLARS PER BUSINESS.Marlies Laaper, owner of CafeYou: "I still think it’samazing program for those otherbusinesses that have suffered soterribly during this time."Reporter: MARLIES LAAPER IS THEOWNER OF CAFE YOU- A COFFEE SHOPIN CAPE CORAL.SIMILAR TO MANY LOCBUSINESSES, LAAPER’S SUFFERED ASETBACK DURING THE COVID-19PANDEMIC.Laaper:"Although in the firsthalf of the year we took a hugehit revenue wise, in the secondhalf of the year it reallypicked up a lot.
Particularlywhen season started toward theend of the year we becameextremely busy and we’ve hasome of our best months since weopened the restaurant in thelast six months."Reporter: ONE FACTOR THAT THEFUND DOES NOT TAKE INTOCONSIDERATION, HOWEVER, AREBUSINESS COSTAS LAAPER POINTS OUT, IT ONLYLOOKS AT BUSINESS REVENUE.Laaper: "Really, we’re ahead ofthe game- we weren’t behind.
Youhave to have a deficit in theyear of 2020 once you take intoaccount your PPP loan and sowe’re not able to take advantageof this programReporter: IT’S CAUSED LAAPER ANDHER BUSINESS TO BE UNQUALIFIEDFOR THE PROGRAM.SOMETHING OTHER BUSINESSES MIGHTHAVE IN COMMON.IT ALSO POSES ANOTHER PROBLEM-AS MANY PAYING EXPENSES HAVEGONE UPLaaper: "The price of gloveshave gone up more than thretimes what they were pre-Covid.A box of one thousand gloveswould have been around $30before the pandemic and they’now close to $100 for a box.There’s a lot of things thahave gone up in price, that’sjust one small example.
Take outcontainers- there’s such a hugedemand for them that the priceshave skyrocketed for thosewell."Reporter: WHILE LAAPER’SBUSINESS WILL BE ALRIGHT, IT’SAN ISSUE THAT MAY CAUSE SOMEBUSINESSES TO TAKE A STEP BACKAND REASSESS.Laaper: "There’s a real squeezeon the revenues in therestaurant business and I thinka lot of people are going thave to consider whether they’restill worthwhile continuingconsidering that situation.
Thefund is amazing but there aremore issues that need to beaddressed along the way, orconsidered at leastReporter: IN CAPE CORAL, CALVINLEWIS, FOX 4.FOR THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS WHOARE LOOKING TO APPLY FOR
Economic relief is coming to restaurants across the U.S. The Small Business Administration is beginning to distribute more than $2B..
Whether you own a restaurant, bar, food truck or bakery, the Small Business Administration has a new relief program to help..
