Baltimore Restaurant Relief Fund Working To Help Local Establishments Stay Afloat Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, restaurants are fighting to remain open.
At Dylan's Oyster Cellar in Hampden, they're feeling the impacts from the kitchen to the dining room.
"Right now, I mean our staff is on the line, we're talking about layoffs again and that breaks my heart," Irene Salmon, General Manager of Dylan's Oyster Cellar, said.
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According to a survey by the Restaurant Association of Maryland, 45 percent of restaurant operators in the state say it's unlikely they will be in business six months from now if there are no additional relief packages from the federal government.
The Baltimore Restaurant Relief Fund has been working to find a recipe for recovery.
"Hoping to support, restore and rebuild the restaurant industry after this," Dave Steel, President of the Baltimore Restaurant Relief Fund, said.
The nonprofit organization is rolling out a new $20,000 outdoor dining support grant to help 20 Baltimore City and County restaurants.
"Our goal is really to give restaurants support," Steel said. "They've put a lot of their own money into creating these outdoor dining spaces."
As restaurants try to navigate through these challenging times, they say any little bit helps.
"Being able to have outdoor dining is key," Salmon said. "It's huge. We need people to come out and we need them to feel safe enough to come out."
Each restaurant awarded the grant would receive $1,000.
Applications are open now online. The deadline is December 18. If you're a restaurant owner looking to take advantage of these grants and programs, you can find more information by clicking right here.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
