Business Resources: Restaurant Association Foundation Coffee Event

In partnership with the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF), we hosted a coffee event on April 8 at the Napa Valley Welcome Center, bringing together restaurants, industry leaders and community partners to network and share programs supporting small business growth and environmental stewardship.

About 40 people attended the event, including Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of the CRF, underscoring a collective commitment to collaboration amongst the restaurant community. A key focus of the event was Restaurants Care Resilience Grants, annually awarded by CRF to help independent restaurants with upkeep and safeguard them from economic uncertainty.

Over the last three years, CRF has invested $5.94 million in 1,325 restaurants, 13 of which are from Napa County. Among grant recipients, 66% were women-owned, 77% were people of color-owned and 92% were single-unit restaurants.

We encourage any independent restaurants looking to build economic resilience to apply for the next round of grants opening in June. Grant application cycles are typically open for 3-4 weeks. Additionally, CRF provides grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 directly to food and beverage workers facing hardships like illness or family loss.

Members of Visit Napa Valley presented at the event and reiterated the importance of restaurants in cultivating Napa's unique culture and maintaining Napa's reputation as a global destination for food and wine. They further expressed their interest in promoting Napa restaurants and working hand-in-hand with the restaurant community to build on existing wine tourism to incentivize visitors to partake in Napa's renowned Restaurant Week. If you are a Napa restaurant owner looking for more promotion, start by making sure that you are in Visit Napa Valley's restaurant directory, and consider taking part in next year's Restaurant Week. We also encourage both employees and employers to check out Visit Napa Valley's Crush That Career resources!

Our very own Brendan Hurley from Napa's Economic Development division then presented on the City's initiatives and how they can benefit the restaurant community. The exciting programs he shared included:

• Business Concierge : The business concierge program provides support to businesses navigating the City's permitting processes, site selection and connection to business resources. This can be a valuable tool for restaurants as they look to meet health standards, source funding and much more!
• Napa Makes: Napa Makes is a program that supports makers, artists and artisans in Napa. This includes the construction of a new makerspace at 100 Coombs.
• Napa RiverLine: Napa RiverLine is a project set to transform the Napa riverfront into an economically vibrant hub for visitors and locals. The RiverLine will be an ideal location for restaurants and other hospitality services.
• Placemaking and Beautification< /a>: This initiative encompasses programs and projects that enhance public spaces and reflect the character of the community. This includes enhancing downtown spaces, managing grant applications for the Tourism Improvement District and much more!

We encourage members of the business community to keep an eye out for future events like the CRF coffee event. These events provide a unique opportunity to network with other members of the business community and learn about beneficial resources and programs - we look forward to seeing you at the next event!