SoCalGas Partners to Award 162 Local Restaurants with $3,000 Grants Through Restaurants Care Resilience Fund

For second year, SoCalGas Donates $525,000 supporting small business recovery & underscoring commitment to drive positive change in diverse and underserved communities across California

LOS ANGELES, June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SoCalGas today awarded $525,000 in grants to 162 independently owned restaurants across Central and Southern California. Each restaurant received a $3,000 grant that can be used for things like equipment upgrades and employee retention programs. In addition, winners will also receive year-long support services from Wells Fargo which provides restaurant owners with resources to enhance and streamline their business. The grants were awarded through a partnership with the California Restaurant Foundation's $1.5 million Restaurants Care Resilience Fund which is funded by SoCalGas, Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Wells Fargo.

"This partnership underscores SoCalGas' commitment to driving positive change in diverse and underserved communities across California. We have committed to investing $50 million over the next five years to help advance a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in the communities we serve, increase access to clean energy, and accelerate our climate and air quality goals," said David Barrett, vice president and general counsel at SoCalGas and California Restaurant Foundation board member. "Independent restaurants are critical to the fabric of our communities because they contribute to culture, they foster job growth, and contribute to the economic vitality of the neighborhoods they serve."

"Independent and locally owned restaurants are the backbone of so many communities – they welcome and accommodate our first dates, post-game celebrations and the many times we just don't feel like cooking. They add vibrancy and uniqueness to every city, which is why the Resilience Fund is so important," said Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of CRF. "Restaurant owners have worked tirelessly over the last two years to keep doors open and feed their community, and we're grateful to SoCalGas, PG&E, SDG&E and Wells Fargo for recognizing that it's critical to continue to support and invest in local restaurants."

The focus of the Restaurants Care Fund this year is on investment and long-term financial health. Recipients will be able to use the $3,000 grants for energy saving equipment upgrades and employee retention bonuses. Winners also receive year-long support services from Wells Fargo which provides restaurant owners with resources to enhance and streamline their business and a complimentary membership to the California Restaurant Association.

"SoCalGas and the California Restaurant Fund are really making a difference in the lives of small business owners. By providing these grants, they are helping our local favorite restaurants remain open and resilient," said City of Rancho Cucamonga Mayor Dennis Michael.

"We are so thankful to SoCalGas for this grant. We have needed a new refrigerator in our kitchen for some time now, and with this funding, I want to upgrade it to a more energy-efficient model to better serve my customers and the planet," said Claire Risoli, Owner of Pocha LA in Highland Park. "Additionally, I would love to award my steadfast employees with a bonus on their paycheck for their loyalty and service through these trying times. They are the heart of Pocha and I know my food is not my greatest asset, my people are." 

Of the 356 total grant recipients, 72 percent of grant winners are female-owned restaurants and 83 percent identify as people of color owners. The average business ownership is 9.7 years, with nearly 80 restaurants operating for more than two decades. To qualify, the restaurants needed to have no more than three independent locations and not exceed $3 million in revenue. To see the full list of grant recipients in your area, please visit www.restaurantscare.org/resilience.

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

About SoCalGas 
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines will continue to play a key role in California's clean energy transition—providing electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment.

SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy company in America. In support of that mission, SoCalGas aspires to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045 and to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills, and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego.

For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.

About the California Restaurant Foundation (CRF):
California is home to more than 90,000 eating and drinking places that ring up more than $72 billion in sales and employ more than 1.6 million workers, making restaurants an indisputable driving force in the state's economy. The California Restaurant Foundation is a non-profit that empowers and invests in California's restaurant workforce. Founded in 1981, CRF supports the restaurant community through relief grants for restaurant workers facing a hardship, job and life skills training for 13,500 high school students each year, and scholarships. For more information visit www.calrestfoundation.org.

SOURCE Southern California Gas Company