Applications opened on Sept. 3 for the Independent Restaurant Coalition and Chase Disaster Relief Fund, a $3 million grant program for independently owned restaurants, bars, cafés and food trucks impacted by natural disasters within the past year.
The grants can be used to cover property damage, temporary operating expenses, lost inventory and other recovery costs. Applications close Oct. 3.
The program comes as Tampa Bay businesses continue to recover from Hurricanes Milton and Helene, which caused tens of millions of dollars in damage in Pinellas County, alone. Nationally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that 40% of small businesses never reopen after a natural disaster.
The relief fund is part of a multi-year partnership between the IRC and Chase, announced in July.