The food service industry in Gettysburg Borough has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the importance of this industry to the local economy, the damage done to Gettysburg restaurants has reverberated throughout the rest of the borough. Aside from staffing issues and decreased customer numbers as a direct result of the pandemic itself, restaurants have endured countless restrictions that have adversely affected their ability to generate revenue.
As restrictions in Pennsylvania have tightened once again, barring or severely restricting indoor dining, the Borough recognizes the industry’s need for assistance. The Emergency Restaurant Zero Interest Loan Program (ERZILP) has been created to assist restaurants that have experienced substantial revenue losses as a result of COVID-19 or COVID-19 related restrictions. This program provides eligible restaurants with zero interest loans of up to $50,000 with a maximum repayment term of 5 years. These loans can be used for rent, utilities, payroll expenses, and inventory costs.
Eligible restaurants are non-franchises that have been physically located in the Borough of Gettysburg for at least four years. Restaurants must also have had at least 10 employees in 2019, provided indoor dining in 2019, and must display a 50% loss in revenue from Q2 of 2019 to Q2 of 2020.
Visit the Borough of Gettysburg’s COVID-19 Resource Page – linked form the Borough’s Homepage – website to complete an application. The enrollment period will expire on February 28th, 2021.