Which NC restaurants, bars received the most COVID-19 relief funds?

CHARLOTTE — North Carolina bars and restaurants received hundreds of millions of dollars from a federal program to help cover lost profits, but many still need more.

According to data from the Small Business Administration, as of June 30, 2,579 North Carolina businesses got loans totaling $646,599,223 through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The average loan was just over $250,700.

The relief fund was set up through the American Rescue Plan, the Biden Administration’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan. The fund was created specifically for bars, restaurants, food trucks, caterers and similar businesses hard hit by the pandemic.

In total, the program dispensed $28.6 billion. But far more businesses submitted proposals for grants.

According to the data, in North Carolina alone, 6,628 businesses submitted a proposal, totaling more than $1.5 billion in requested funds.

Thomas Street Tavern in Plaza Midwood, which received more than $1.6 million in pandemic aid, is one of those businesses that applied for the restaurant revitalization fund.

Combined Caterers Incorporated received nearly $9 million. That’s the most in the Charlotte area.

Amelie’s Bakery also received more than $3 million.

Aetius Restaurant Holdings, which owns Wild Wing Cafe and other restaurants, got over $7.5 million, while $4 million went to Harper’s Restaurants Incorporated.

The program attempted to prioritize funds for those economically and socially disadvantaged business owners. In North Carolina, a little more than a third of the funds went to historically marginalized business owners. Less than 10% went to veteran-owned businesses, and about 43% went to women-owned businesses.

Lynn Minges, the president and CEO of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association, told WTVD the hospitality industry is hurting.

“It’s fairly widely known that restaurants and hotels and taverns across the state have suffered disproportionately during COVID-19,” Minges said. “We’ve been advocating at all levels of government for relief for this industry -- for restaurants and hotels and bars that have suffered -- and really just simply have not received the relief that they need in order to continue to do business in our state.”

Minges said through the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants, bars and hotels lost $5 billion statewide, and many haven’t been able to recoup those losses. She also said that some received funding through the Paycheck Protection Program.

“Taken together, there’s still about a $3 billion gap in losses that just have not been met,” Minges said.

A new survey by the National Restaurant Association shows businesses are doing even worse now than three months ago, and they largely blame the Delta variant of COVID-19. But they also said they don’t have enough employees to meet customer demand.

“Survey data shows the restaurant recovery is moving in reverse at this point,” said Sean Kennedy with the National Restaurant Association.

Industry experts said it could be more than a year before business conditions return to normal. The goal is to use the federal aid to bridge the gap.

Minges said her organization has suggested that in future funding efforts, the North Carolina state legislature and Gov. Roy Cooper put emphasis on need, giving priority to businesses that lost 20% of year-over-year sales revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s a nondiscretionary sort of way to administer the money. We think it could be done fairly and equitably, and that there are no winners and losers,” Minges said. “It’s literally a pot of money that goes to those that have experienced that 20% decline in revenue and it’s fair and equal for all.”

With the majority of North Carolina’s 18,000 restaurants, bars and hotels still waiting for relief, Minges said the most important thing patrons can do is be kind as businesses deal with staffing and supply shortages.

“We just ask for kindness -- kindness for those workers who are persevering through those tough times,” Minges said. “A little bit of kindness goes a long, long way.”

WTVD contributed to this article.

(WATCH BELOW: Local restaurants struggling to stay open due to staffing, food shortages)

Local restaurants struggling to stay open due to staffing, food shortages

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