The Cecil County Office of Economic Development is now accepting applications for a second round of the County’s Spring Restaurant Relief Grant and the Hotel Relief Grant. The grant program provides critical assistance to food and beverage service providers and hotels and bed & breakfasts struggling amidst the pandemic.
“Our restaurants, wineries, breweries, and lodging industry businesses have been hit hard by COVID-19,” said County Executive Danielle Hornberger. “This grant will hopefully help them sustain operations, remain open, and continue employing our residents as we continue recovering from this pandemic.”
According to a County press release:
Cecil County received $170,271.30 for hotel grants and $374,596.86 for restaurant grants, from the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund (MEDAAF), to help food and beverage service providers and hotels and bed & breakfasts that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The maximum award that can be given for the Spring Restaurant Relief Grant is $12,000 while the maximum award for the Hotel Relief Grant – Round 2 is $25,000. Actual award amounts will be determined by the total number of qualified applicants and may also take into consideration the number of employees and/or size of the facility.
“As with our prior Hotel and Winter Restaurant Relief Grants, we are excited to have received additional relief funding to help the segments of the business community hit the hardest by the pandemic” said Steven Overbay, Director of the Office of Economic Development. “We will be working closely with our restaurateurs and hoteliers to get the relief funds into their hands as quickly as possible.”
To qualify for the Hotel Relief Grant – Round 2, a business:
- Must be located in Cecil County, MD;
- Must be primarily engaged in NAICS code 72110 (Hotels [except Casino Hotels] and Motels) or NAICS code 721191 (Bed and Breakfast Inns);
- Must be in good standing with Cecil County and must not currently be in default on any loans from Cecil County or delinquent on any taxes, fees, or other charges owed to Cecil County; and
- For franchises with multiple locations, the franchisee MUST be a Maryland resident, be in good standing with the State of Maryland, and demonstrate need related to COVID-19 hardship.
To qualify for the Spring Restaurant Relief Grant, a business:
- Must be located in Cecil County, MD;
- Must own, rent, or lease a permanent or mobile commercial food and/or beverage service location in Cecil County (caterers do not need a permanent location);
- Must be primarily engaged in activities that would be included in NAICS code 72320 (Caterers), 7224 (Drinking Places/Alcoholic Beverages), or 7225 (Restaurants and Other Eating Places);
- Must demonstrate a need for assistance;
- Must be in good standing with the State of Maryland and Cecil County Government, and registered with the state, if required to do so by law; and
- Must not currently be in default on any loans from Cecil County or delinquent on any taxes, fees, or other charges owed to Cecil County.
The deadline to apply is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 14, 2021.
