Province tops-up, expands restaurant financial relief program

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This article was published 16/04/2021 (1859 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Rural restaurants and catering businesses which suffered financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic are now eligible for provincial relief.

The Manitoba government announced Friday it was putting $2 million — in addition to $4 million previously allocated — into its Dine-in Restaurant Relief Program.

The program, administered by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, with the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association, has thus far reported 513 applications approved (mostly in Winnipeg) since it was launched in January.

Caterers and rural restaurants who weren’t included in the original program can now apply for financial rebates based on how their revenues compare to pre-pandemic times.

“In a time when the food service industry in Manitoba has experienced significant revenue losses due to the pandemic and code red restrictions, we are pleased to see our provincial government expanding this initiative to ensure funding reaches some of the rural restaurants and our catering industry who have faced significant challenges of operating during this unprecedented time,” Shaun Jeffrey, association executive director and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

Chuck Davidson, president and CEO of the chambers, said: “This expanded program is intended to provide extended financial relief to dine-in restaurants that have been affected financially by the province moving to critical (red)… and resulting public health orders.”

Economic Development and Jobs Minister Ralph Eichler said in a statement the “restaurant industry has made significant sacrifices to keep all Manitobans safe in our fight against COVID-19… We will continue to work with our business community and partners to identify industry needs during this challenging time.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca