Hometown Restaurants Can Apply for More Than 200 Grants of $5,000 Each, Deadline to Apply is June 30
Oakland, Calif. — For the sixth straight year, The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation) will fund grants to support independent restaurant owners and their staffs through the California Restaurant Foundation’s (CRF) Restaurants Care Resilience Fund. The grants will support a record number of restaurants in Northern and Central California this year.
Resilience Fund grant applications will be accepted at www.restaurantscare.org/resilience through June 30, 2026.
The PG&E Foundation is contributing nearly $1.3 million to the program this year — more than any other year. The grants will help build more resilient hometown businesses for the long term. A total of 213 restaurants and commercial caterers in Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) service area will receive $5,000 grants. That number is up from last year’s 188 grant recipients.
Since 2021, PG&E and the PG&E Foundation have contributed nearly $5.6 million to the CRF’s Restaurants Care Resilience Fund. This has provided grants to 863 local restaurants within PG&E’s service area. With this year’s contribution, the total number of restaurant grants awarded in PG&E’s service area will exceed 1,000.
“What makes the Bay Area a true food region is the strength of its culture and diversity — each town and city with its own unique identity, shaped by generations of cooks, and small businesses that give the area its character and flavor. We’re proud to support the people behind the food and restaurants that are so central to how locals and visitors alike experience the region, through our ongoing partnership with the California Restaurant Foundation,” said PG&E Bay Area Vice President Jake Zigelman.
Giving Locally, Benefiting Our Hometowns
Grants can be used for vital business needs, including technology and equipment upgrades. They can also help with employee training and retention and unforeseen hardships.
One of last year’s grants recipients was Town’s End Brunch in San Francisco. The family-owned restaurant specializes in classic American dishes.
“It was a big help at the right time,” said Sam Elbandak, who runs the restaurant with his wife Nazeira.
The grant helped to replace a 30-year-old refrigerator that leaked, consumed a lot of energy, and required costly maintenance.
With a new refrigerator, Elbandak said he can concentrate on what’s most important to him — his employees and his customers: “We take care of them and they take care us…we are like family.”
See a video of one of our recent grant recipients, Torches in Petaluma.
CRF began the Resilience Fund in 2021 to support restaurants recovering from economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the fund has provided more than $11 million in grants to restaurants and caterers across California.
PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation have supported the program since its inception. The company has maintained its support as restaurants continue weathering economic challenges.
“What makes the Bay Area a true food region is the strength of its cities — each with its own unique identity, shaped by generations of cooks, cultures and small businesses that give the area its character and flavor. We’re proud to support the people behind the food and restaurants that are so central to how locals and visitors alike experience the city, through our ongoing partnership with the California Restaurant Foundation,” said PG&E Bay Area Vice President Jake Zigelman.
The PG&E Foundation’s funding for this charitable donation comes from PG&E shareholders, not PG&E customers.
Grant Eligibility
California-based restaurant owners and commercial caterers in PG&E’s service area can apply.
Applicants can have up to five locations (although only one location can apply). Annual revenue cannot exceed $3 million for the location. The restaurant must be in operation for one full year to qualify, and previous grant recipients are eligible to apply for a different location or concept. Existing food businesses that are expanding into a brick-and-mortar location are also eligible to apply.
For more information on the California Restaurant Foundation, Restaurants Care, or the Restaurants Care Resilience Fund, visit restaurantscare.org.
Assisting Restaurants and Small and Medium Businesses
PG&E remains committed to helping its small and medium business customers to save energy and money, especially during times of economic hardship. Here are some ways PG&E is helping its customers:
- On-Bill Financing. PG&E offers 0% interest loans for replacing old and worn-out equipment with more energy-efficient models. Watch this video to explore how energy savings are reinvested back into your business to help improve your bottom line.
- Rebates for food service equipment. PG&E offers several rebate programs that will help you save money and improve productivity when you upgrade your food service equipment.
- Food Service Technology Center. Access key training programs, design consultants and test kitchen plans to improve your operations and energy efficiency.
- Budget Billing. If you are a small business owner, you can have a predictable bill each month by enrolling in Budget Billing. The program averages out your monthly bill to determine monthly payment, instead of having unpredictable summer bills.
- Energy Efficiency Programs. PG&E contracts with external companies to provide a customized solution for different business sectors.
- Find Your Best Rate Plan. Customers can use this online tool to run a rate analysis to see if they are on the best rate plan for their operations. The tool is projected to save customers over $5 million this year.
- Local Energy Advisor. Reach out to your local small business energy advisor to discuss cost savings solutions.
For more information on PG&E Small and Medium Business customer support, visit pge.com/smbsupport.
About The PG&E Corporation Foundation
The PG&E Corporation Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, separate from PG&E and sponsored by PG&E Corporation.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.
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Oct 2024 – PG&E Foundation Supports 80 Small Restaurants in the Bay Area
