WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — State grant money totaling $145 million is on its way to help bars, restaurants, and hotels.
The Hospitality Relief Program focuses on helping smaller businesses with fewer than 300 employees.
It's an industry especially hard hit in Williamsport.
The Little League World Series would normally bring in tons of tourism dollars to Billtown, but not in a pandemic.
Gloria and Liz Miele, owners of the Peter Herdic Inn and Dining House, said this money could not come at a better time.
"It's been a crazy, crazy, year but if it weren't for a lot of the lifeline funding from the state. We'd be sunk; there's just no way," Liz Miele said.
"Oh my gosh yeah, we'd be out," Gloria Miele said.
The inn and dining house are less than a block away from downtown Williamsport.
Even in one of the most popular areas of the city, it's been hard to get by.
"Our inn property is probably at about ten percent of the revenue that we would have on a normal year. The restaurant, we've been a little more fortunate here, but it's closer to maybe 35 percent," Liz Miele said.
The state is giving out grants ranging from $5,000 up to $50,000 to try to give restaurants and hotels some help.
"If you look at it, it doesn't sound like a lot of money, but it's enough to hopefully get them through to hopefully this summer," said Jason Fink, President of the Williamsport Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce.
Fink suspects business should pick up by the summer when more outdoor dining can become available.
He also said there are more than 200 restaurants in the county.
Many have been hurt by all the shutdowns from the state; one of them is Barrel 135.
"It's hard, you know, cutting down our seating and when we're available to be open. Late night, happy hours aren't doing it anymore. Just cutting back on our times and availability to put people in here," Kelli McCloskey, from Barrel 135, said.
Restaurants, bars, and hotels can begin applying for these grants in March.
Priority will be given to those who have not received previous funding.
