Keeping Local Restaurants Cooking: Restaurants Receive Resilience Grants from PG&E, California Restaurant Foundation

Daddy O's Smokehouse: Rancho Cordova, CA

OZ and Valencia Kamara at Daddy O's Smokehouse have continued to build community through great food, while serving greater Sacramento. Witness how a family’s bond, both to each other and their community, not only kept them afloat when all felt lost, but led them to thrive and tend to the needs of others in a way they never imagined.

The Cook and Her Farmer: Oakland, CA

Located inside the historic Swan’s Market in old Oakland, The Cook and Her Farmer is more than just a restaurant, it’s a hub of rich community and inspiring seaside cuisine. 

Las Mañanitas: Fresno, CA

Family-owned Las Mañanitas Mexican restaurant, located in a small southeast Fresno strip mall, is known for its authentic homestyle cooking and neighborly atmosphere. Pro tip: If you don't order their famous chilaquiles, you were never here.

Dec. 2, 2022

By Tracy Correa Lopez

Northern and Central California restaurants are getting a second boost this year from the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF) and The PG&E Corporation Foundation (Foundation). The Foundation’s latest $400,000 charitable contribution to CRF will fund $3,000 grants to 114 hometown restaurants in 23 counties in Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) service area, as well as operating support for CRF. 

The Foundation’s additional contribution to CRF’s Restaurants Care Resilience Fund will help restaurants 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. The recent funding follows a $500,000 contribution earlier this year. 

“We were elated by the additional contribution from The PG&E Corporation Foundation, bringing our total grants awarded in 2022 in the PG&E service area to 258 independent restaurants. These grants allow the restaurant owners to thank their longstanding and much appreciated crew with a retention bonus or invest in equipment to help their restaurants run safely and efficiently. What an extraordinary gift to give, especially this time of year. Together, we are spreading a bit of joy and letting restaurants know how much we value their contribution to our neighborhoods,” said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director, California Restaurant Foundation. 

For the past two years, PG&E and The Foundation have supported CRF’s Restaurants Care Resilience Fund. Grants have been 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 and The Foundation’s combined $1.4 million in charitable contributions in 2021 and 2022 have supported 367 local restaurants. 

“Our hometown restaurants are the heart and soul of our communities, and they represent how small businesses help our local neighborhoods thrive. As we head into the holiday season, where food and gathering are central to our celebrations, we welcome the opportunity to support the industry that provides meals and neighborhood gathering spots. We are also grateful to our partners at the California Restaurant Foundation for their dedication to helping our local restaurants continue their path to recovery,” said PG&E Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer Carla Peterman.

Assisting small and medium businesses 

PG&E remains committed to providing ways for its small and medium business customers to save energy and money. Here are some ways PG&E is helping its customers: 

• Contacting business customers who would save money by choosing a better rate plan for their operations — projected to save customers over $1.5 million in 2022.
• Providing COVID-19 relief and support information to all small business customers, including PG&E resources and external support for businesses such as 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. 

For more information on the California Restaurant Foundation, Restaurants Care, or the Restaurant Resilience Fund, visit restaurantscare.org.