City Creates New Grant Program for Restaurants and Gyms Impacted by Covid-19 Restrictions

Written by: Natalie Klyashtorny


This past Friday, the City of Philadelphia announced the Philadelphia Covid-19 Restaurant and Gym Relief Program, a $12 million grant program to assist restaurants and gyms adversely impacted by the latest round of pandemic-related restrictions enacted in November 2020.   

Online applications will be opened at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 28th, and will continue to be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9th.

All filed applications will be reviewed after February 9th, based upon eligibility, not first-come, first-serve.

Eligible businesses are limited to restaurants with indoor dining, gyms, and businesses whose primary activity is indoor exercise.  Grant awards are estimated to be up to $15,000 per business.

To be eligible, a business must also:

  • Be an independently-owned and operated for-profit business or franchise.
  • Occupy a storefront, retail, or commercial space physically located in Philadelphia.
  • Be operating at the time of application or have operated in the last 90 days and intends to be operating again within 90 days.
  • Earn less than $2 million in annual revenue, pre-COVID-19.
  • Report at least a 25% decline in revenue from the 4th quarter of 2020 compared to the 4th quarter of 2019.
  • Be in compliance with all local, state, and federal taxes, or be on an approved payment plan or can prove they are in the process of getting on a payment plan.
  • Have required federal, state, and local licenses and permits to legally operate.

Although not a requirement to apply, due to limited funding, this governmental program will prioritize businesses that meet any of the following criteria:

  • Are located in high poverty areas or on neighborhood commercial corridors.
  • Are minority-, woman-, or disabled-owned.
  • Provide jobs to Philadelphians.
  • Suffered damage in 2020 due to civil unrest.

The online application can be completed on a mobile device or computer and is estimated to take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Business owners should gather the following information before applying:

  • Basic information, such as:
    • Type and structure of business.
    • Employer Identification Number (EIN), social security number of business owner, or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) of business owner.
    • Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) account number from the City of Philadelphia.
    • Annual and quarterly revenue from 2019 and 2020.
    • Number of full-time and part-time employees, pre-COVID and currently.
  • Photo(s) of your business, exterior and interior.
  • If applicable, details about any damage incurred during civil unrest in 2020, including photos of all damage reported and/or a report from the Philadelphia Police Department.
  • A completed and signed W-9 in PDF format.

If you have any question about this newly instituted governmental program, please feel free to contact us at info@nochumson.com and an attorney at Nochumson P.C. will immediately reach out to you to schedule a free consultation.