WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Businesses in the hospitality industry in Luzerne County will be able to get some much-needed cash.
Luzerne County, CAN DO, and the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber announced the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP) on Thursday.
The program will distribute a total of $3.5 million in grants ranging in size from $5,000 to $50,000 to small businesses in the county.
"We're seeing our numbers go down, but it's now that our businesses need our help. Luzerne County, northeastern Pennsylvania, has been built on mom-and-pop businesses. Luzerne County, northeastern Pennsylvania, has been built on people working together and community standing together. It is now that they need our help the most to get us over this last hurdle as we move forward with everything that we're trying to be doing here against this pandemic," said Luzerne County Manager David Pedri.
"Cities like Hazleton made up of a lot of family-oriented businesses, really need help. This is a great opportunity for those businesses to get some help that's much needed," said Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat.
That includes mom-and-pop shops like Jimmy's Quick Lunch on Broad Street in Hazleton, in business for 84 years.
"Before the pandemic, Jimmy's was always busy, every day, busy," James Grohol said. "When that pandemic hit, it dropped out the bottom, even though we did takeout. Take-outs were fine, but they didn't do enough to cover what we did inside and take-outs before."
The owner says he'll be applying for a grant. Eligibility includes being a for-profit business with fewer than 300 employees. You need a specific tax-filing designation, and you must be able to show a 25 percent decrease in revenue between 2019 and 2020.
Businesses that meet these requirements can get between $5,000 to $50,000.
"At this point, anything of would help," Grohol said. "It sure can't hurt, but anything can really help."
Businesses in Luzerne County are encouraged to contact their local chamber of commerce for assistance or questions.