Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation

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Resources for Restaurants and Workers Coping with the COVID-19 Emergency

RWCF is working to collect information and links to resources that will help restaurants and workers deal most effectively with the COVID-19 Emergency. If you have information to share with the restaurant community, please email us at info@restaurantworkerscf.org.

***CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY, as we will be continuously updating this page.***

Relief Funds for Restaurant Workers

[These are funds operated by nonprofit organizations abiding by IRS laws for disaster relief. Because of accountability concerns, we are not listing GoFundMe campaigns.]

RWCF’s Restaurant Workers COVID-19 Crisis Relief Fund

Restaurant Opportunities Centers United Crisis Relief Fund (RWCF 2018 & 2019 Grantee)

LEE Initiative Restaurant Workers Relief Program

Hot Bread Kitchen Emergency Relief Fund (RWCF 2019 grantee)

The One Fair Wage Campaign Relief Fund

The James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund

USBG COVID-19 Relief Grants

Another Round Another Rally Relief Fund

Restaurant Strong Fund 

CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees)

Canada: Montreal Restaurant Workers Relief Fund

Check out EATER’s LIST of worker-specific and geographically targeted relief funds.

What Businesses Need to Know

How Companies Can Get Employees Back to Work Safely

Covid-19 Navigator for Businesses

NYC Indoor Dining to begin on September 30th at a 25% Occupancy, subject to further restrictions: Interim Guidelines and Safety Plan Template

Navigating WARN Act Compliance

What to Expect When You’re Inspected: NYC Open Restaurants Program Checklist for Participating Establishments

NY SLA Guidance On Requirement that Licensees With On-Premises Service Privileges Serve Food With Alcoholic Beverages

Mayor de Blasio Extends Popular Open restaurants Program to October; Announces More Locations for Expanded Dining on Open Streets

Cuomo to extend permission for takeout cocktails

Before Covid, landlords had the upper hand in restaurant lease negotiations. Now they’ll settle for tenants who can make the monthly rent.

NYC Restaurant Reopening Guide

INTERIM GUIDANCE FOR OUTDOOR AND TAKE-OUT/DELIVERY FOOD SERVICES DURING THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY (NYS)

A New $3M City Fund Aims to Pay Staffers at Small Restaurants $20 Per Hour

RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION PROGRAM: A SUBSIDIZED WAGE PROGRAM FOR RESTAURANTS

Restaurant Revitalization Program Application Form

Reopening Your Restaurant/Bar/Cafe: A Post COVID-19 Survival Guide for Independent Food Service Operations

Pandemic Relaunch Toolkit

ROC-NY CHOW Virtual Hospitality Management Level Training, COVID-19 Focused

Hospitality Employers Get More Options for Loan Forgiveness in Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act

The New Federal Loan Program Just Might Give NYC Restaurants a Fighting Chance

Free Antibody Testing Available to Essential Hospitality and Delivery Workers (English/Spanish)

Latest Guidance On PPP Loan Forgiveness (May 23 Update)

Mayor de Blasio Signs COVID-19 Relief Package Into Law

SBA and Treasury Release Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application

Sick Leave, WARN, Immigration and COBRA in Light of COVID-19

DETERMINING COVID-19 LEAVES OF ABSENCE (for NYC employers with less than 500 employees)

Everything to Know About How the $2 Trillion Stimulus Helps (and Fails) Restaurants and Workers

The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act

U.S. SBS Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program

What All Employers Should Know About Disaster Relief Funds to help with COVID-19

Small Business Paycheck Protection Program

French Quarter restaurant sues in what may be first U.S. coronavirus insurance dispute / French Laundry restaurateur Thomas Keller sues insurer for coronavirus losses

What Are Companies’ Legal Obligations Around Coronavirus?

Is Coronavirus Covered by Business Interruption Insurance?

Coronavirus – Workplace Considerations: Advice from a Law Firm Specializing in Restaurant Business Issues

Coronavirus National Emergency Declaration Permits Employers to Offer Tax-Favored Financial Assistance to Employees

Actually, paid sick leave might NOT be too expensive for restaurant owners

Oyster Sunday’s comprehensive resource page with crisis advice on service + safety, operations, finance + accounting, business loans + grants, human resources, much more.

Fox Rothchild law firm advice: Federal Law To Mandate Paid Sick Leave, Enhanced Unemployment for Workers Affected by Pandemic

New York Hospitality Alliance COVID-19 Resources

From New York Hospitality Alliance, New Laws Require NY Employers to Provide ...

New York City will provide relief for small businesses experiencing a reduction in revenue because of COVID-19. Businesses with fewer than 100 employees who have seen sales decreases of 25% or greater will be eligible for zero interest loans of up to $75,000. Businesses with fewer than 5 employees are eligible for a grant to cover 40% of payroll costs for two months to help retain employees. You can learn more about these programs here.

NYC SBS Assistance & Guidance for Businesses Impacted Due to Novel Coronavirus

NYC.gov’s Business Assistance Survey - tell the City how your restaurant is experiencing the crisis.

Rethink has set up a Restaurant Response Program to assist with food need and access during times of crisis.  If you are a NYC based restaurant - you are eligible for the program. Rethink will select up to 30 restaurants for the program, and give those selected up to $40,000 to stay up and running. 

Data and Statistics Relevant to the Crisis

60 percent of the jobs lost in March 2020 at the beginning of the crisis were restaurant employees. 

New Unemployment Numbers Show NYC Has Lost Two-Thirds of Its Food Jobs. Food and drinking places shed at least 234,000 jobs during the shutdown in the five boroughs, or nearly half a million jobs throughout the state, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on June 19. Just 105,000 city hospitality staffers were still working in May, when the metropolitan area had not yet reached the first phase of reopening — up from 91,000 in April. That’s just a third of the jobs that were available in February. It’s also the lowest level of hospitality industry employment since before December of 1992, constituting a temporary erasure of nearly 30 years worth of jobs growth.

5 million to 7 million hospitality service workers will lose their jobs in the next three months, the National Restaurant Association predicts.

10% of U.S. Workforce are in Restaurants:  We’re a huge community! The restaurant workforce constitutes 10% of the overall U.S. workforce, according to the National Restaurant Association. Nearly 6 in 10 adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some point during their lives. Restaurants employ more women managers and more minority managers than any other industry. Eight in 10 restaurant owners say their first job in the restaurant industry was in an entry-level job. There are a whole lot of people out there who understand just how tough this industry can be! 

Only 14% Get Health Benefits: Just 14 percent of restaurant employees across the country receive health insurance benefits from their employers, meaning many rely on publicly funded resources for health care. (Economic Policy Institute)

1 in 6  Restaurant Workers Live in Poverty: PRIOR TO THE CRISIS, 16.7 percent of restaurant workers live below the official poverty line, and 43% live below twice the poverty line, the measure commonly used by researchers as a measure of what it takes for a family to make ends meet. (Economic Policy Institute, 2014)

 2.45 Million U.S. Restaurant Workers Live in Poverty: There are 14.7 million workers in the restaurant industry in the United States. If one in six lives in poverty, that means nearly 2.45 million people are working in the restaurant industry and living in poverty. And that was PRIOR to the crisis.

1 in 5 Restaurant Workers Recently Worked While Seriously Sick: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2014 that “one in five food service workers have reported working at least once in the previous year while sick with vomiting or diarrhea.” This was PRIOR to the crisis.

General Resources

There’s an app for that!: This COVID-19 App (not created or formally associated with RWCF) has tons of constantly updated resources on employment, health, mental health, rental assistance and more.

RWCF Restaurant Manager Check-In Resource Packet

Open Restaurants FAQ (NYC)

June 2020 Rent Survey Results

Free Face Coverings for Small Businesses & Their Employees

Six Questions Restaurant Workers Should Ask Their Employers Before Returning to Work

COVID-19 Resources for Undocumented Communities / COVID-19 Recursos para Comunidades Indocumentadas

Master Resource Guide for Immigrants During the Pandemic/Guía de Recursos para immigrantes e indocumentados

You have the right to a safe workplace. To lodge workplace safety complaint, or get specifics on workplace safety issues in your state, visit Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Volunteering Opportunities

RWCF is working directly with Food Bank for New York City to identify volunteering opportunities (some potentially paid) for unemployed restaurant workers, here are a few:

Catchafire - provides online and flexible volunteer opportunities and has a special effort during the coronavirus crisis

Eater Guide on How to Help Restaurants and Communities in Need

NY lawmakers want Cuomo to fast-track health care worker training so unemployed people from other careers can volunteer in crisis

If you would like to volunteer for RWCF, especially if you have professional skills in accounting, legal, technology, communications, etc., or if you are a restaurant worker who would like to join one of our committees on developing events, communications, fundraising, etc., please email michael@restaurantworkerscf.org.

John deBary