the Restaurateur RI DOT Announces Relief Program for Restaurants and Bars November 06, 2020 Grants of up to $10,000 are available for qualified businesses to help make up for loss of business due to Governor Raimondo’s early-closing order. On Thursday, November 5, 2020, Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo announced a relief program for restaurants, bars, and other related businesses that have been ordered to close earlier than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic. What’s inside the relief program? Under the program, the Rhode Island Division of Taxation will provide grants to bars and restaurants adversely impacted by COVID-19. Each grant will range from a minimum of $2,000 to a maximum of $10,000. Governor Raimondo developed the relief program to coincide with her Executive Order that will mandate early shutdown for bars and restaurants: Effective on Sunday, November 8, 2020, all restaurants, bars, and certain other facilities must end service at 10:00 p.m. on weeknights and 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Restaurants are allowed to stay open after the new closing hours for take-out and drive-in only. The new provisions involving closing hours will remain in effect for at least two weeks. They are part of a range of measures aimed at limiting the spread of the coronavirus and reducing the rising number of coronavirus cases. The relief program will be paid for through federal funds that have been made available to the states for pandemic relief. The Division of Taxation will soon post an application form that the affected businesses must complete in order to apply for a grant, and will post other details on its website. Developing information related to this grant program will be posted on the Division’s website, http://www.tax.ri.gov/RICares/.... In addition, you’ll want to check out our blog RI HArT Program which offers further relief for RI restaurants and bars. Need further guidance? We can help.
