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Local food service businesses share more than $224 million

Written By Scott Joseph On July 14, 2021

Chefs de France interior

The Small Business Administration has released the list of more than 100,000 foodservice businesses that have been awarded grants from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a cache of $28.6 billion allocated as part of the American Rescue Plan Act.

The list included more than 815 businesses in the Greater Orlando, including Orange, Lake, Seminole and Brevard counties. Those businesses – restaurants, bars, caterers, food trucks – split a total of $224,467,903 with an average award of more than $275,000.

The list was released as the result of a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the Independent Restaurant Coalition and is in the form of a spreadsheet. Many of the recipients are listed under business-license or owner names; it takes some cross referencing to determine the actual name of the restaurant.

The smallest local grant was for $1526 to RiveraSM LLC, which operates a Winter Park Planet Smoothie. The largest awards were for $10 million each to Pita Hut Enterprises LLC and JBI LLC.

Pita Hut Enterprises does business as Haagen Dazs; JBI operates the restaurants and foodservice entities at Epcot’s France pavilion, including Chefs de France, pictures at top. (Sixty-five other businesses nationwide received $10 million, the largest amount allowable.)

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The grant process has been the subject of controversy and complaints. The SBA opened the application process originally to businesses that are owned by women, socially disadvantaged people and veterans. Most of the funds were depleted during the 21-day head-start period, which has resulted in lawsuits from owners not in the priority categories and calls for Congress to allocate more funds.

Still, according to Nation’s Restaurant News, fewer than one-third of the businesses that received the maximum amount of $10 million were part of the priority group.

The Whiskey, the popular restaurant and bar on Sand Lake Road in Orlando, is owned by Katie Zagaroli and received a grant of $644,167. Zagaroli said Wednesday that she received the funds in June. “Right now I’m making sure all of our bills are back to date,” she said, “and I’m looking into franchising.” Besides being part of the prioritized group, Zagaroli said the application process was made easier because the point of sale system she uses at the restaurant, Square, provided all of the details needed.

Here is a link to a PDF I created of local businesses on the list. You can download the entire SBA spreadsheet here.

Some other locals businesses receiving funds include:

  • 310 Park South ($94,237)
  • Maxine’s on Shine (listed as Shine Cafe LLC; $89,278.50)
  • Bar-bq-bar, Mills 50 ($301,349.72)
  • Bento Group ($2,259,077)
  • Bikes, Beans & Bordeaux, Audubon Park ($50029.18)
  • Bubbalou’s Apopka ($128,243)
  • Capone’s Diner & Show, Kissimmee ($1,298.864.25)
  • Ethos Vegan Kitchen ($776,677)
  • Events by John Michael ($657,618.33)
  • Grafitti Junktion, Thornton Park ($286,817)
  • Grafitti Junktion, Lake Mary ($241,058.03)
  • Hawkers ($4,979,878)
  • Hungry Pants ($63,057)
  • Kadence ($370,529.5)
  • Le Coq au Vin ($158,566.8)
  • Maison & Jardin, Altamonte Springs caterer ($146,637)
  • MX Taco ($27,992.67)
  • Nile Ethiopian ($125,859.50)
  • Puff ’n Stuff Catering ($8,655,673)
  • Se7enBites ($106,166.66)
  • Teak Restaurant Group ($255,636.53)
  • The Old Jailhouse ($359,115.25)
  • Wall St. Enterprises, downtown Orlando ($2,296,976)

 

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