PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced Tuesday that the state would provide an additional $2 million in funding to help small restaurants extend and furnish their outdoor patios, allowing them to seat more people and potentially make up for the occupancy restrictions on indoor dining.
The "Safest Outside Restaurant Assistance Program" was announced back in December 2020 and was initially funded with $1 million.
As part of that program, small Arizona-owned restaurants can apply for up to $10,000 to build and furnish an outdoor patio, including tables and chairs, outdoor furniture, patio heaters, barriers, and covers.
To date, the Governor's Office said 265 Arizona restaurants have submitted applications and that 114 restaurants received funding.
The additional $2 million would allow for at least 200 restaurants to receive funding, assuming they each receive the maximum $10,000.
Restaurants can fill out an application, here.
To be eligible, restaurants have to be Arizona owned and operated, have less than 50 full-time employees, follow the state's COVID-19 safety guidelines and sign the Arizona Department of Health Services attestation form, submit a budget with the application, and be approved for an extension of premises.
Several cities, including Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe, had previously allowed some restaurants to temporarily extend their outdoor patios in reaction to the pandemic.
