PG&E, Foundation give grants to restaurants including one in Chester

June 16, 2022 Editor

California restaurants still struggling with impacts of the pandemic are getting a boost from the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) and The PG&E Corporation Foundation (Foundation), including eight in the North State. The Foundation’s $500,000 charitable contribution to CRF will fund $3,000 grants to 144 hometown restaurants in 28 counties in Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) service area, as well as operating support for CRF.

Eight North State restaurants receiving $3,000 grants each are:

The Rawbar Restaurant & Sushi in Chico
The Union Patio Bar & Grill in Oroville
The Coffee Station in Chester
Porky’s To Go in Yuba City
Fresh Fire Grill in Palo Cedro
Players Pizza in Anderson
Shorty’s Eatery in Old Shasta
The Post Office Saloon and Grill in Redding

The Foundation’s contribution to CRF’s Restaurants Care Resilience Fund will help grantees pay for equipment upgrades to alleviate deferred maintenance, and for employee retention to help with industry-wide staffing shortages, both of which have been on the backburner for the last two years due to increased debt, losses and costs.

“Independent and locally-owned restaurants add vibrancy and uniqueness to every city, which is why the Resilience Fund is so important,” said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of CRF. “Restaurant owners have worked tirelessly over the last two years to keep doors open and feed their community, and we’re grateful to PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation for their support the past two years, recognizing that it’s critical to continue to support and invest in local restaurants.”

Grants were made available to California resident restaurant owners with fewer than three units and less than $3 million in revenue, and prioritized minority- and women-owned businesses. PG&E’s and The Foundation’s combined $1 million in charitable contributions in 2021 and 2022 have supported 319 local restaurants.

“Our hometown restaurants are the heartbeat of many local communities. They’re where we mark milestones, celebrate events big and small, and reconnect with family, friends and coworkers. We’re grateful for the California Restaurant Foundation’s leadership in helping this important industry rebound and recover so we can all keep making memories together,” said Joe Wilson, vice president of PG&E’s North Valley and Sierra Region.

Assisting Small and Medium Businesses

PG&E remains committed to providing ways for its small and medium business customers to save energy and money amid the economic hardships suffered during the pandemic. Here are some ways PG&E is helping its customers:

Automatically enrolling qualified customers in PG&E’s COVID Relief Payment Plan to help pay down balances over time, protecting from disconnection.
Contacting business customers who would save money by choosing a better rate plan for their operations, in line with changing peak hours for time-of-use rate plans.
Providing COVID-19 relief and support information to all small business customers, including PG&E resources and external support for businesses like California state programs.
Increasing outreach to small business customers highlighting payment support and energy-savings programs through email campaigns, PG&E’s Energy Advisors, and direct mail.
Conducting outreach to eligible customers to enroll in a discounted rate for businesses struggling to stay open.
Offering rebate and financing solutions to help small business customers realize sustained cost savings.

For more information on PG&E Small and Medium Business customer support visit pge.com/smbsupport.