Few businesses were hit harder during the COVID-19 pandemic than those offering food and lodging.

Customers stayed home, staff were laid off because of lack of business or quit due fears of catching the virus, and supply chains were disrupted.

Small businesses desperately needed help.

So Pennsylvania established the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program, or CHIRP.

The program allocated $145 million in funding assistance to hospitality industry businesses hurt by the pandemic. The program, created by the Department of Community and Economic Development, required counties to establish grant programs for eligible businesses.

In Schuylkill County, which received $1.6 million, the need was significant.

Commissioners, along with the Schuylkill Economic Development Corp. and NEPA Alliance, joined forces to distribute the funds.

The state capped the grants at $50,000.

More need than money

“When the CHIRP program was first proposed, the Schuylkill County commissioners limited the applications to a maximum of $25,000 to make sure more restaurants could take advantage of the benefits,” said Commissioners Chairman Barron L. Hetherington.

The county divvied up the money to about 83 businesses.

“Unfortunately, the first round of funding ran out with 16 applicants not receiving any funding even though they met the application deadline,” he said. “We allocated additional funds from American Rescue Plan Act funding to allow the additional applicants to receive funding,” he said.

“This was a very important program because a lot of restaurants incurred losses; but because they were family owned and operated, they did not qualify for most of the COVID-19 relief programs offered by the federal government. Several restaurant owners told me that CHIRP saved their business,” Hetherington said.

Who got what

Ultimately, the county parceled out the CHIRP funds to a total of 98 businesses.

County Administrator Gary R. Bender provided details from NEPA Alliance.

Locally, the distributions included $25,000 each to the Tamaqua Station Restaurant; the Beacon Diner, Hometown; Chantilly, Barnesville; La Dolce Casa, Tamaqua; Stokers Brewing, Tamaqua; Basile’s Italian Delight, Hometown; Leiby’s Ice Cream House & Restaurant, South Tamaqua; and Rough Cut Barbeque, Tamaqua.

New Asian Bistro, Hometown, received $20,000.

Revere Brewery, Tamaqua, received $10,000; T & L Welsh, Tamaqua, and Lakewood Park Events, Barnesville, received $5,000 each.