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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIndependent Restaurant Coalition Letter of Support DocuSign Envelope ID:7E78E92B-6F4C-4DC8-BBOD-4DOFC9F8BBB3 PORTAT T GELS 321 East Fifth Street WASH I N G T' O N , U . S . Port Angeles, WA 98362 December 8, 2021 The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Chuck Schumer Majority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States Senate U.S. Capitol Building, Room S-230 U.S. Capitol Building, Room S-221 Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Speaker Minority Leader United States House of Representatives United States House of Representatives U.S. Capitol Building, Room H-232 U.S. Capitol Building, Room H-204 Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer and Leader McCarthy; As Mayor of the City of Port Angeles, I wish to address a critical need in our community. Restaurants in big and small cities across the country are hurting, and if they do not receive help soon the impact on our local economies will be catastrophic. The sudden emergence of the Omicron variant is causing more strife for restaurants and bars in such peril that they might not survive the winter. Without Congress acting urgently to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) 86% of independent restaurants and bars that didn't receive grants risk permanently closing. The local economy of the Olympic Peninsula depends on our community restaurants. Failing to refill the RRF soon will cause widespread closures and deal another blow to our already fragile supply chains. Prices have already shot through the roof for basic products like beef(41%), grains (40%) and shortening and cooking oil (39.4%) losing the restaurants these suppliers depend on would cause even more harm to this tenuous system. Our local restaurants foster regional job growth, support local agriculture, and provide an income and keeps families together. The restaurant industry provides a sense of camaraderie and community. There are restaurants in our city where "everybody knows your name", where you can get a delicious meal at a reasonable price, and you know the owner and workers. This fellowship builds the essence of community. DocuSign Envelope ID:7E78E92B-6F4C-4DC8-BBOD-4DOFC9F8BBB3 Local independent restaurants and bars are vital to our economies. Restaurants and bars breathe life into our neighborhoods,provide unparalleled opportunities for career advancement and facilitate commerce between local suppliers. Now these small businesses, many that have served our communities for decades, are on the edge of shutting their doors forever. Over 100,000 restaurants and bars received vital protections from the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund included in the American Rescue Plan, but over 177,000 applicants were denied funding altogether. These businesses cannot compete with their peers that can pay down their debts, make repairs and hire workers at competitive rates it is not fair for the government to pick winners and losers. Restaurants and bars are months beyond struggling, they are dying in plain sight. They have 20 months of debt from missed rent, supplier and utility payments and are putting off repairs that needed to be addressed months ago. The cold weather has ended outdoor dining and now the omicron variant is reinvigorating fears in guests who are scared to eat indoors. These small businesses on the brink of financial ruin have to compete with their counterparts that can pay down their debts,pay competitive rates and take whatever extra measures necessary to keep their guests and staff safe. Congress cannot only fix a third of the problem the pandemic created representatives need to ensure these small businesses have the relief they need to navigate the uncertain future and pay down their debt. That's why I'm writing to ask that you refill the RRF with additional aid for our industry. A broad, bipartisan majority of lawmakers support bills to get this done in both the House (H.R.3807 and H.R.4568) and the Senate (S.2091 and S.2675). To date, 295 representatives in the House and 51 Senators have signed on in support of refilling the RRF. We have worked with these business owners to develop policies and grant programs developing additional revenue streams to help these restaurants and bars stay afloat. Despite our efforts, over 90,000 restaurants have closed and the industry has lost over $280 billion during the pandemic. Now time is up for the more than 177,000 restaurants and bars languishing in the SBA's application program. Restaurants serve our communities, employ families, and feed our economy. We need your help so they can continue serving our cities for years to come. Respectfully, /(DocuSigned by; ale�eXter°9 Mayor