ATLANTA — The stimulus deal approved by Congress on Monday night includes $284 billion in loans for small businesses, many struggling to pay rent and their employees. While the package doesn’t include significant support for the hard-hit restaurant industry, there is hope it will help these businesses survive.
Restaurants like Manuel's Tavern have been waiting months for relief and they've had to resort to fundraisers. And loyal customers have been pitching in what they could to help keep these local landmarks alive.
It’s now this very same type of community support that is giving the owners of The Colonnade some hope. The storied restaurant on Cheshire Bridge Road has been a business and restaurant known to Atlantans for more than 90 years. Now, though, it’s struggling to stay open.
When 11Alive spoke with owner Jodi Stallings last week, she said that, since the pandemic, their business has been down 60 percent. Many of their customers are of the age group most worried about and at the highest risk for COVID.
This Atlanta destination for comfort food even had an online fundraiser page started last week to help them stay open. Their goal was $100,000. Their loyal customers came through, however, and this morning they had raised above their goal nearly $110,000.
Stallings shared a heartfelt message on the fundraiser page upon hearing the news.
“We were so busy tonight, as well, with people saying they were there to support the Colonnade,” she wrote. “All of the sleepless nights, I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight.”
They plan to keep the GoFundMe page open since these are uncertain times and any dollar will help in the months ahead.
Neighbors of Loring Heights, a small neighborhood tucked away in northwest Atlanta, are trying to raise $10,000 to keep Endive Publik House open.
Endive, featuring Chef Drew Ihrig's signature dishes from Endive Fine Catering Atlanta, announced on July 28 that they were shutting down. They have since reopened for takeout only.
Neighbors hope the community will pitch in to raise $10,000 on GoFundMe to help the restaurant pay for their liquor license in 2021 and keep them open for good.