OAKLAND, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–California restaurants still struggling with the effects of the pandemic are getting a boost from the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) and the PG&E Corporation Foundation (Foundation). The Foundation’s $500,000 charitable contribution to CRF will fund $3,000 grants to 144 local restaurants in 28 counties in Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) service area, as well as operational support to CRF.
The Foundation’s contribution to the CRF’s Restaurant Resilience Fund will help recipients pay for equipment upgrades to mitigate deferred maintenance, and for employee retention to help address staffing shortages at the industry-wide, which have been on the back burner for the past two years due to increasing debts, losses and charges.
“Independent and local restaurants add vibrancy and uniqueness to every city, which is why the Resilience Fund is so important,” said Alycia Harshfield, executive director of CRF. “Restaurant owners have worked tirelessly over the past two years to keep doors open and nurture their community, and we are grateful to PG&E and the PG&E Corporation Foundation for their support over the past two years, recognizing that it is essential to continue to support and invest in local restaurants.
Grants were made available to California resident restaurant owners with fewer than three units and less than $3 million in revenue, and prioritized minority and women-owned businesses. Combined PG&E and Foundation contributions of $1 million in 2021 and 2022 supported 319 local restaurants.
“The restaurants in our hometown keep the hearts of many local communities racing. It’s where we mark milestones, celebrate events big and small, and reconnect with family, friends, and colleagues. We are grateful for the leadership of the California Restaurant Foundation in helping this important industry bounce back and recover so we can all continue to create memories together,” said Carla Peterman, executive vice president of corporate affairs and chief development officer. from PG&E Corporation.
Helping small and medium-sized businesses
PG&E remains committed to providing its small and medium-sized business customers with ways to save energy and money in the face of economic hardships during the pandemic. Here are some ways PG&E helps customers:
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Automatically enroll qualified customers in PG&E’s COVID relief payment plan to help pay off balances over time, protecting them from disconnection.
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Reach out to business customers who would save money by choosing a better rate plan for their operations, in line with changing peak times for time-of-use rate plans.
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Provide COVID-19 relief and assistance information to all small business customers, including PG&E resources and external assistance for businesses such as State of California programs.
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Increase awareness of small business customers by highlighting payment assistance and energy saving programs through email campaigns, PG&E Energy Advisors and direct mail.
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Conduct outreach to eligible customers to register at a discounted rate for businesses struggling to stay open.
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Offer rebates and financing solutions to help small businesses achieve sustainable savings.
For more information about PG&E Small and Medium Business customer support, visit pge.com/smbsupport.
For more information about the California Restaurant Foundation, Restaurants Care, or the Restaurant Resilience Fund, visit restaurantscare.org.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE: PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people over 70,000 square miles in northern and central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.
