SOUTH FRESNO, Calif. — The Latino Restaurant Association (LRA) is excited to announce a new grant opportunity, sponsored by SoCalGas, to support local restaurant owners. This initiative will provide financial assistance to 35 restaurants in South Fresno, Kings, and Tulare Counties, focusing on restaurant owners of Latino heritage and those who have made significant contributions to the Latino community.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with SoCalGas to support our local restaurants, especially those owned by members of the Latino community,” said Lilly Rocha, CEO of the Latino Restaurant Association. “This grant program is designed to help these businesses thrive and continue contributing to our vibrant local economy. “By providing these grants to restaurants in South Fresno, Kings, and Tulare Counties, we aim to support the essential needs of these establishments. We believe in the power of our local restaurants and their significant contributions to the Latino community.”
To qualify for the grant, restaurant owners must meet the following criteria:
- Own up to three (3) restaurant locations
- Generate less than $1 million in annual revenue per location
- Have been in business for more than three (3) years
- Must be a current SoCalGas business customer
- Be a member of the Latino Restaurant Association (Free two-year memberships are available to restaurants in South Fresno, Kings, and Visalia Counties. Sign up by August 23, 2024, using code VKF2024 to bypass the payment on the LRA Member Sign Up Page (HERE)
Grant applications open on Monday, July 30, 2024, and close on August 23, 2024. Restaurant owners can apply through the Latino Restaurant Association using the following link: LRA Grant Applications. Participants will be notified of their application status by September 2, 2024, and grant recipients will be officially announced on September 9, 2024.
“At SoCalGas we value diverse, local restaurants and recognize the contributions they make to our communities. We are glad to support the LRA in providing grants for small restaurants. These grants will provide some relief and can be used toward the purchase of interior equipment, technology upgrades, employee benefits or other changes that will support their small business,” said Andy Carrasco, vice president of communications, local government and community affairs at SoCalGas and member of the Latino Restaurant Association Board of Directors.
For more information on the grant program or to apply, please visit the Latino Restaurant Association’s website at https://latinorestaurantassociation.org/.
About the Latino Restaurant Association:
The Latino Restaurant Association (LRA) is dedicated to supporting Latino restaurant owners and promoting Latino cuisine’. The LRA provides resources, advocacy, and networking opportunities to help Latino-owned restaurants succeed and grow.
About SoCalGas:
SoCalGas is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States serving approximately 21 million consumers across approximately 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. SoCalGas’ mission is to build the cleanest, safest, most innovative energy infrastructure company in America. SoCalGas aims to deliver affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service through its pipelines to help advance California’s clean energy transition by supporting energy system reliability and resiliency and enabling the integration of renewable resources. SoCalGas is a recognized leader in its industry and community, as demonstrated by being named one of Reuters’ Top 100 Innovators Leading the Global Energy Transition and Corporate Member of the Year by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), a leading North American energy infrastructure company. For more information, visit SoCalGas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on social media @SoCalGas.
