CLEARFIELD – Nearly $900,000 in financial relief was awarded on Tuesday to local hospitality businesses who were adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state’s COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP) allocated $145 million in funding assistance to counties for hospitality industry businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program required counties to establish grant programs for eligible businesses. Grant funds provided to counties were then awarded to eligible businesses to alleviate revenue losses and pay eligible operating expenses.
The county had to contract with one or more Certified Economic Development Organizations or Community Development Financial Institutions, which in turn disbursed the funding through grant agreements with eligible businesses.
In February, the commissioners approved an administration agreement with the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning & Development Commission for disbursement of grant funding. The North Central PA Launchbox also assisted.
Each county received an amount based on population proportion, and according to previously-published reports, Clearfield County was eligible for $897,671 for local hotels, restaurants and bars, etc.
Eligible applicants had to be “hospitality” businesses that have a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) designation with the Accommodation subsector (721) or Food Services and Drinking Places subsector (722).
Eligible businesses were required to:
- have fewer than 300 full-time equivalent employees;
- have a maximum tangible net worth of not more than $15 million;
- have been in operation Feb. 15, 2020, and remain in operation with no intention to permanently cease operations within one year of the date of application; and
- show how COVID-19 has had an adverse economic impact on the eligible business, which makes the grant request necessary to support the ongoing operations.
On Tuesday, the commissioners announced $880,000 in grant awards to 31 eligible hospitality businesses with priority given to area hotels with bars and restaurants having not been eligible for previous COVID relief.
A complete list of county CHIRP grant awards is provided below:
| Business | Grant Award |
| Holiday Inn Express Clearfield | $50,000 |
| Hampton Inn | $50,000 |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites | $50,000 |
| DuBois Resorts LLC | $50,000 |
| DuBois Manor Motel | $50,000 |
| Super 8 By Wyndham Clearfield | $50,000 |
| Red Roof Inn | $50,000 |
| Budget Hotel | $50,000 |
| Subway | $30,000 |
| Luigi’s Ristorante | $30,000 |
| Ike & McCauley Bobette LLC | $30,000 |
| McClure’s American Diner | $30,000 |
| Shannon’s Catering LLC | $30,000 |
| Skate Station LLC | $30,000 |
| Moena Restaurant | $30,000 |
| The New Fort Worth Restaurant & Hotel Inc. | $30,000 |
| Vermeulen Enterprises LLC/Presko | $30,000 |
| Rainbow Inn/Just 1 More | $30,000 |
| St. Charles Café | $30,000 |
| Friendly Tavern Inc. | $30,000 |
| Fat Kids Sports Bar | $30,000 |
| Butch’s 101 Pitstop | $20,000 |
| Best Travel Inn | $15,000 |
| Kai Buffet & Grill | $15,000 |
| Key Largo LLC | $10,000 |
| West Branch Dairy Diner | $5,000 |
| Express Café & Convenience | $5,000 |
| Farm Table Restaurant | $5,000 |
| Rodeway Inn | $5,000 |
| Ethan’s Café | $5,000 |
| Spike’s Pub | $5,000 |
| Total | $880,000 |
Commissioner John A. Sobel, board chairman, explained that the grants could be awarded in amounts, ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 but were required to be made in $5,000 allotments.
“Our philosophy – first and foremost – was to help businesses that we haven’t been able to help yet,” said Sobel. “… A lot of the higher awards went to local hotels, motels, etc.
“We did prioritize the hotels/motels because we helped a lot of our bars and restaurants last year with CARES funding,” continued Commissioner Dave Glass, “and then again with our emergency shutdown grants.”
Glass said the county also has to pay North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning & Development Commission and North Central PA Launchbox for their administrative services.
He said it was important to note the Launchbox will receive just under $10,000 but will not pocket it and instead offer an entrepreneurial grant to funnel it back out into the community.
Glass also reminded grant recipients to closely monitor their e-mail because they will receive a grant agreement, which must be signed and returned in order for them to receive the funds.