With the 2020 election in the rearview mirror, businesses are looking forward to beginning 2021 with more clarity. Restaurants are particularly keen to understand what new legislative measures have passed or are on the horizon as they continue to navigate the acute—and devastating—impact of the coronavirus on the industry.
Of most interest is the fate of the Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed To Survive (RESTAURANTS) Act, passed by the House of Representatives in October.
If passed by the Senate, the act would provide to non-publicly traded restaurants $120 billion of relief through a grant (rather than a loan that is provided under the Paycheck Protection Program) that would cover the difference between 2019 and 2020 revenues. Restaurants would be able to use the funds for any expenses deemed essential by the secretary of the Treasury Department.
