Recognizing fully that winter time in Michigan is among the worst possible times for restaurants, bars and similar businesses to be sharply restricted to either no indoor service or significantly reduced capacity limits, the Small Business Association of Michigan entered a partnership with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity to get grant money into the hands of some of those businesses to help them to winterize or add capacity during difficult times. The results are in and more than 300 small Michigan business enterprises were awarded such grants.
Three Blondes Brewing of South Haven was one of the recipients of an award.
The drive to help winterize workplaces and temporarily expand operations to meet COVID-19 distancing requirements, resulted in 331 Michigan small businesses being awarded grants by the Small Business Association of Michigan through the program created and funded by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO).
At Three Blondes Brewing, they tell SBAM, “We were able to outfit our patio with 6 enclosures for outdoor dining (4 domes, a carport, and a greenhouse), electric heaters for each of them, over 1400-lbs of sand for anchoring everything down, and it helped cover the seemingly endless amount of propane refills to keep our existing fire pits going. Additionally, we were able to purchase a hypochlorous acid generator and UV cold fogger to thoroughly sanitize these enclosures in between guests, which we are SUPER excited about since we take the health and safety of our staff and customers very seriously! We will also be able to use this to sanitize our dining room each night once we return to indoor dining.”
SBAM President Brian Calley says, “Offering outdoor opportunities for business during the colder months has been a lifeline for small businesses this year as they work to survive during the pandemic,” and adds, “These grants are helping small businesses offset the costs of creative outdoor options that increase capacity as they work to operate safely. SBAM is proud to have worked with LEO on this important program.”
Qualified businesses were awarded between $1,000- $10,000 to fund weatherized, temporary outdoor facilities. The grants were part of COVID-19 federal funding identified by LEO to assist businesses with winterization efforts.
LEO Acting Director Susan Corbin says, “Michigan small businesses have done their part to safely keep our economy running during this pandemic,” and adds, “We know these times have been tough and are proud to continue working with SBAM to provide resources to help small businesses weather the storm, and in this case, take on winter operations they never would have considered before.”
Businesses and nonprofits that received the funding included:
- Restaurants and/or bars
- Breweries/wineries/tasting rooms
- Cafes
- Concession stands
- Banquet centers
- Catering companies
- Gyms
- Ski resorts
- Dance/gymnastic studios
- Boating clubs
- Golf courses
- Funeral homes
- Theater companies
- Museums
- Downtown Development districts
- Food banks
- Nature centers
- Cider mills
- Retail stores/shops
- Commercial real estate companies
Grant funds will reimburse small businesses for constructing temporary structures such as canopies and igloos or the purchase of portable heaters, outdoor furniture and tableware, cooking equipment, and other related safety and security upgrades needed to increase outdoor capacity for carryout and delivery services. All funds must have been used to support weatherization of outdoor capacity expansions completed between August 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020.
Applications for grant funding were submitted in November of 2020, and awarded to eligible businesses on a first-come, first-served basis with special consideration given to awarding at least 10 grants in each of Michigan’s prosperity regions.
The Small Business Association of Michigan focuses solely on serving the needs of Michigan’s small business community through advocacy, collaboration and buying power. Today they serve over 28,000 members in all 83 counties of Michigan. SBAM is located in Lansing, just one block from the Capitol.
The photo of one of their “Blondomes” accompanying this story on Moody on the Market is courtesy of Three Blondes Brewing in South Haven.
