Skip to main content

Davids Announces $46 Million in Federal Relief to Third District Restaurants and Bars

July 16, 2021

Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced that the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) granted more than $46 million in pandemic relief aid to 165 eligible small businesses in the Third District of Kansas. Additionally, Davids joined the RRF Replenishment Act of 2021, which would allow for all existing applications to the program to be fully funded.

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a targeted program created by the American Rescue Plan, provided $28.6 billion in flexible funds for restaurants and bars to survive the pandemic and get back on track. The grants can be used for everything from payroll and benefits to food, utilities, and rent. However, just a few weeks after opening, applications to the RRF reached $75 billion in requested grants, far exceeding available funds. The bipartisan RRF Replenishment Act will refill the fund with $60 billion in additional appropriations, helping hundreds more businesses and workers in the Kansas Third District stay afloat.

"I'm glad to announce that these restaurants and bars in our community have received flexible funding from the American Rescue Plan to keep their doors open and staff on payroll," said Davids. "Small businesses are the heart of our community, and after more than a year of challenges, they continue to need our support. I signed on to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act to ensure no small business owner is left behind in our recovery."

Through her role on the Small Business Committee, Davids has been a fierce advocate for local businesses, and she recently visited with several local shops in Overland Park who received federal aid to hear their concerns. In May, Davids participated in an oversight hearing of SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman, pushing her to provide answers to the restaurant and venue owners waiting for relief. She also successfully fought to extend the repayment deadline for EIDL loans to 2022 and urged SBA to increase transparency and pace on the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program, which faced multiple delays that left venue owners waiting for answers.

More data on RRF grants can be found here.