Guest Post: The Pizza Cave’s Joe Cave on the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF)

This editorial on the Restaurant Revitalization Fund by The Pizza Cave‘s owner Joe Cave is well worth your attention. It hits at the heart of the problems plaguing all owner-operated restaurants and the communities they serve. It’s about a three-minute read and worth every second.

America is at a crossroads, one which was unforeseen just a few decades ago yet growing ever-present with each passing day. We have watched our societal discourse devolve into altruistic memes with little resemblance of reality. To be honest, this has progressed through the layers of Dante’s Inferno for many years, but we seem to be reaching the peak of civil ignorance at a pace never experienced in our history. At the core of the freefall, is the altruistic notion that the ends justify the means. A disconnected ideology which attempts to distance itself from the realities of the actions taken. This adopted attitude of defiance has real-world implications.

Last year, at the height of the pandemic, Congress approved the American Rescue Plan (ARP). One of the initiatives of that legislation was the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). A grant program targeted to assist independent small operators left behind by other COVID-related assistance programs.

Most small independent operators could not take advantage of the PPP programs and simply did not qualify for EIDL, so this was their lifeline to offset expenses and obligations forced upon them through no choice or fault of their own. The RRF was the program introduced to fill the gap and provide meaningful assistance to those left behind by the various programs which preceded it.

There was only one problem – a prominent lobby for corporate-tied entities that didn’t like the exclusion of their donor base. So, the legislation was modified to include these groups with larger grant caps, effectively killing the promise in reach that the grant program could achieve. With large caps, corporate ties, and ultimately grossly underfunded the grant program predictably ran out of funds ending its ability to reach its true intent and purpose.

While a debate on whether this was justified adjustments or not will be contested at nauseum, one thing is clear – the legislation and implementation failed to meet its goal, and many have been left behind to deal with the ramifications. A full 2/3rds (177,000+ independent operators) who were eligible were left behind with no assistance or funding.

Imagine for a moment, as a parent, you have three children. You are tasked with picking the one child you truly want to save, knowing the other two face an uncertain outcome. As a parent, you would say that isn’t a choice and you would fight for each child. That is where we are at, the difference is Congress already chose and has failed to assist the other two by grossly underfunding the program – knowingly.

Through the inequities of the implementation and distribution, Congress picked the winners and losers regarding the health and stability of our nation’s small restaurants and businesses – intentional or not, that is the reality we face.

So, who is to suffer for this? Ultimately, it will be the American people, our neighbors, millions of tax paying jobs, and the backbone of our local communities which constitute a vast majority of employment, tax revenue, job creation, and opportunities. Supply chains, farmers, and – yes – even your local sports team sponsorships. You see, our local independent restaurants are more than just a great place to meet, hang out, or have first jobs … they are an integral part of our daily lives.

Replenishing the RRF is an investment to ensure supply chain obligations are met, back lease/rent is paid, and a stable foundation is set to ensure we don’t lose the battle with mass closures and the economic turmoil which would ensue. This is an investment in America’s economic stability. This is not a new request, but a continuing one to satisfy the massive unrealized obligations deferred which unmet will plunge an entire industry into default carrying a fragile economy with it. The scale of which is astronomical. With a united voice, we implore Congress to replenish the RRF and save an industry on the brink of collapse and the very soul of the nation it serves.