SF Mayor Helps Lead Call For Emergency Local Business Aid

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Friday joined an urgent call to aid America’s ailing local restaurants.

Warning of potentially “catastrophic” consequences for local businesses that are an essential part of the fabric of communities nationwide, Breed joined 25 current and former mayors co-signing a letter urging Congress to restore pandemic relief funding through the American Rescue Plan to restaurants and bars barely hanging on amid omicron.

The nation’s urban leaders are warning a failure to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) would be “catastrophic” for local business, potentially setting off a chain reaction that could bring the U.S. economy to its knees.

Around two thirds of the nation’s approximately 277,000 restaurants that applied for RRF have been denied, and 86 percent of those businesses are at risk of permanent closure, the letter said.

“Failing to refill the RRF soon will cause widespread closures and deal another blow to our already fragile supply chains,” the letter addressed to House and Senate leaders of both parties said.

“Prices have already shot through the roof for basic products like beef (41%), grains (38%) and shortening and cooking oil (44%) — losing the restaurants these suppliers depend on would cause even more harm to this tenuous system.”

Breed was among three Bay Area mayors who signed the letter. San Rafael Mayor Kate Colin and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf were the others.

The letter was also signed by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, and former Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin.

“Local independent restaurants and bars are vital to our economies,” the letter said.

“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.”

The urban leaders argue in the letter that businesses that don’t receive funding are at a competitive disadvantage.

“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.”

The letter said support for additional RRF funding enjoys majority support in both houses of Congress.

“Restaurants and bars are months beyond struggling, they are dying in plain sight. They have 22 months of debt from missed rent, supplier and utility payments and are putting off repairs that needed to be addressed months ago,” the letter said.

“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.”

This article originally appeared on the San Francisco Patch