LA County Stops Accepting Restaurant Grant Applications After Reaching Limit

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Los Angeles County is no longer accepting applications for the 'Keep L.A. County Dining' program after receiving 2,500 requests for $30,000 grants.

The online portal for grant applications crashed last week after 6,000 applicants tried to start an account, then went back online Monday. The site currently says that the application limit has been reached and refers users to other state and city resources.

The program for small-business restaurant owners was established to help them economically survive during pandemic after Los Angeles County closed in-person outdoor dining. Takeout and delivery options are still available at most restaurants.

Small-business restaurant owners that applied had to demonstrate their eatery was impacted by COVID-19 through hardship due to closure and a reduction in revenue.

Eligibility was limited to restaurants within the county, excluding Los Angeles and Pasadena, with fewer than 25 employees and no more than five locations. Pop-up locations and food trucks did not qualify.

Roughly $5.6 million will be divided equally among the five county supervisorial districts, with priority given to restaurants that were operating outdoor dining on November 24, just before the recent shutdown took effect.

The funding is intended to be used for working capital needs such as meeting payroll, paying outstanding expenses, and funding changes required to stay open during the spread of COVID-19.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who opposed the county's recent decision to temporarily end in-person dining, said restaurants have made "incredible sacrifices" to align with public safety protocols.

"These restaurants, the vast majority of which employ fewer than 25 people, truly represent the small business community that drives the county's economic engine," Barger said. "The recent health officer orders to close in-person dining was a devastating blow and as a result, the board identified the need to immediately deploy grant funding to support these impacted small businesses."

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)