CENTRALIA — The Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced the availability of funds through the Restaurant Relief Fund (RRF) and the City of Centralia is willing to help area small businesses apply for assistance.

Assistant City Manager, Derek Sherman states that the City of Centralia is willing to assist small business owners with the registration and application process to help them have an opportunity to receive funding.

The American Rescue Plan Act established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses keep their doors open.

This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023.

A link to the SBA press release can be found here.

Sherman wants to clearly state that the RRF is through the SBA and the city of Centralia has no determination on the businesses that receive or do not receive the RRF.

The city only wants to encourage and assist businesses in the registration and application process to make sure all willing & applicable businesses have an opportunity to receive funding.

More in-depth information is available from the SBA by phone at 1-844-279-8898 or at: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/covid-19-relief-options/restaurant-revitalization-fund

For more information and assistance from the City of Centralia, contact Assistant City Manager Derek Sherman at dsherman@cityofcentralia.org or at 618-533-7623.