Several local restaurants and bars awarded $1K grant
The grant was made possible by the Northern Kentucky Restaurant Relief Fund
CONVGINTON, Ky. (FOX19) - The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Northern Kentucky Tri-ED and Horizon Community Funds of Northern Kentucky all make up the Northern Kentucky Restaurant Relief Fund.
It was started on April 8 to try and help provide local restaurants and bars financial aid in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Thursday, organizers announced the first round of 15 winners who received a $1,000 grant.
“These are the places where we have our business meetings, where we celebrate our birthdays, they add to our culture and quality of life," NKY Chamber of Commerce President Brent Cooper said. “We need to support these places. We need them to come back.”
The restaurants and bars are spread across Northern Kentucky.
Here’s a complete list.
1. The Block Deli (Crescent Springs)
2. Bouquet Restaurant (Covington)
3. Braxton Brewing Co. (Covington)
4. Camporosso (Fort Mitchell)
5. Commonwealth Bistro (Covington)
6. Frida 602 (Covington)
7. Grandview Tavern (Fort Mitchell)
8. Izzy's (Florence)
9. Knotty Pine on the Bayou (Wilder)
10. Libby's Southern Comfort (Covington)
11. Piper's Café (Covington)
12. Reality Tuesday Café (Park Hills)
13. Ripple Wine Bar (Covington)
14. Skyline Chili (Taylor Mill)
15. Skyline Chili (Ft. Wright)
Bouquet Restaurant on Main St. in Covington is completely closed right now and has been since March 16.
“That was a nice little surprise this morning reading that email," Owner of Bouquet Restaurant & Wine Bar Stephen Williams said. "There hasn’t been a whole lot of happy surprises in the past month, so that was great. super excited about that.”
So far organizers with the Restaurant Relief Fund say they've raised about $36,000 which is more than their initial goal of $20,000.
Now they're trying to get to $50,000.
If you’re interested, purchase a gift card or gift certificate to any qualifying Northern Kentucky restaurant or bar.
Only locally owned and operated restaurants and bars are eligible.
The gift card or gift certificate has to be a minimum of $50.
Once you do that, go to the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce website and upload a copy of your receipt.
This automatically nominates the restaurant or bar for a $1,000 grant.
A random drawing determines who will receive it.
Fifteen winners were announced on Thursday and according to Cooper another 15 will be announced next Thursday.
They can only win once.
“It means so much to them to not only get these $1,000 grants, but to get the gift card purchases," Cooper said. “If we can have more people buying these gift cards to then be used when things get back to normal, this helps those bars, restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops right now and that’s what they need.”
Williams says he’s probably going to put the $1,000 right back into his restaurant in the form of restocking.
He also says he’s hoping to get his team back working as quickly as possible and his doors reopened for take-out only temporarily next month.
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