31 different restaurants in the town of Ocala, FL received substantial financial aid from the United States government in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The restaurants had reached out to the United States government to apply for federal grants in order to stay afloat as part of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The program didn't last very long, but for those restaurants who took advantage while it was open, the rewards have more than paid off.
The Restaurant Revitalization program netted the 31 Ocala restaurants a total of approximately $8 million. In particular, a trio of restaurants along College Road were the biggest winners: Zhu Ocean Buffet Inc. got $1,620,599, Suleiman Italianos Inc. took in $1,455,707, and Triple Li & J Asian Food Inc.- now the parent company of Tony's Sushi- accepted $1,105,017 in relief funds.
President Joe Biden signed the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund into law back in March; predictably, with so many restaurants across the United States suffering from the fallout of the pandemic, demand overtook the supply and the program was shuttered four months later. While the program was in effect, though, the program did provide financial assistance for over one hundred thousand restaurants across the country.
