DENVER (CBS4) – Denver City Council unanimously approved $1.5 million in grant money Monday night to help the restaurant and hospitality industry in Denver hire and keep their staff. Itâs being called The Denver Back to Work program.
According to Denverâs Department of Economic Development and Opportunity they are using COVID relief money to help rebuild the local job base with a focus on the restaurant, hospitality and events industries.
READ MORE: Ptarmigan Fire: Hundreds Remain Evacuated, New Evacuations Ordered After Wildfire Started Near Homes In Summit CountyLaura Shunk is the President of the Colorado Restaurant foundation.
âThey can use it reward people who have been with them and give them a bonus, or they can use it to attract people with things like a hiring bonus,â Shunk said.
Kevin J. Daly is the owner of Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery chain, which includes Vine Street Pub and Brewery in Denver.
âWe lost a lot of people moved on they went to do other things they changed careers they moved away they moved back in with their parents,â he said.
Daly says navigating the pandemic and now trying to reopen has been somewhat of a maize.
âAll of the sudden there was just this demand that was so strong. People wanted to go out and we didnât have enough kitchen staff and trying to explain why you canât seat all the tables and people were really kind at first, but their patience has been thin,â he said.
Now heâs focused on hiring and training, which he says can be costly, to get two of their locations that have remained close throughout the pandemic back open.
âCould more incentives help bring people in?â CBS4 Reporter Karen Morfitt asked Daly.
READ MORE: Opening Statements Begin In Rogel Aguilera-Mederos Trial For 2019 Deadly I-70 Semi CrashâAny assistance can help. Everyone sees how busy we are we are on an hour wait we are packed but we are not cash flowing we are not positive without PPE and without these employer retention credits people arenât making money,â he said.
The Grant programs approved in Denver will add to those programs and is designed to make the hospitality industry more attractive to potential employees.
The Colorado Event Alliance and Colorado restaurant association will distribute that money.
Shunk says each employer will be limited to $10,000 and must go directly to the employee which according to the city would mean roughly $1,500 per worker.
âWe built the program to have flexibility because every restaurant is different every hotel is different. Every employee has different needs and sort of has different incentives. So as long as they fit within these broad criteria and are using it to keep employees employed or to bring new employees to work.â
Daly says it will be a big help, but rebuilding isnât going to happen overnight.
“The entire industry was ruptured, and itâs like a war almost. Itâs going to take a couple years,â he said.
The Colorado Event Alliance will be responsible for rewarding $500,000 to employers in the hospitality and event industry. The Colorado Restaurant Association will decide where the remaining $1 million.
MORE NEWS: 47-Year-Old Woman Inside Aurora Home Killed When Shots Are Fired At It From Car OutsideYou can check their websites for more on how to apply:
https://www.coeventalliance.org/
https://www.corestaurant.org/
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