National Restaurant Association Statement in Response to the Introduction of the ENTRÉE Act
“We appreciate Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer’s (R-MO) effort to introduce the Entrepreneurs Need Timely Replenishment for Eating Establishments (ENTRÉE) Act. The introduction of this bill shows that there continues to be strong bipartisan and bicameral support for restaurants. There is an opportunity to find a path to consensus on how to ensure that the SBA can complete its mission by funding the nearly 200,000 applications left pending when the RRF closed.
“From the outside looking in, the industry appears to be recovering, but looks are deceiving. Restaurants that have been closed or were operating under often severe capacity restrictions are facing months of debt that they are balancing with increased food and labor costs. Many are caught in a vicious cycle; they want to fully reopen but lack the resources they need to meet demand. For many of the operators stuck in limbo as they wait to hear about the RRF Replenishment Act, a grant could put them on solid ground.
“There isn’t a community in this country that hasn’t lost a small business restaurant or that isn’t on the verge of losing one, which is why we haven’t given up on working with Congress and the Administration to find a path to more funding.”
Sean Kennedy
Executive Vice President of Public Affairs,
National Restaurant Association
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