PLYMOUTH – At Plymouth 1620 Winery, the pandemic hits where it hurts the most – the wedding business.
“It couldn’t get much worse,” said owner Bob Mullaney. “We’re in the wedding industry, so people get their money back if they cancel. It was pretty bad.”
Many weddings that were planned and paid for last year are now being held, which doesn’t improve Mullaney’s bottom line. But he gets some relief from the federal government.
Mullaney’s winery, restaurant, and wedding venue was just one of 162 companies on the South Shore that received a total of $ 71.8 million in grants from the Small Business Administration, part of a $ 28.6 billion allocation made in the American Rescue plan was decided.
More:See who received how much money from the South Shore SBA Scholarship Program
The Small Business Administration has granted grants to 101,000 restaurants nationwide, approximately 3/4 of the 278,000 eligible applications they have received since May 3. The remaining ⅔ of applicants will not receive any money. The program received a total of $ 72 billion in funding requests.
In Massachusetts, 2,550 companies will receive the Small Business Administration grants totaling $ 992 million, data shows.
Since the program ran out of money, it created “winners and losers,” said Jeffrey Gates, chairman of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association.
Massachusetts Restaurant Association President and CEO Bob Luz said 65 percent of Massachusetts restaurant businesses do not receive any money from the fund, despite the fact that the state ranks high among total national grants and the highest average grant in the country of $ 388,000.
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“On the South Shore, grants ranged from $ 4,322 for the 42 Degrees North Restaurant and Lounge in Plymouth to the maximum allowable, and $ 10 million for Milton’s Not Your Average Joe’s chain and The Catered Affair in Rockland and Hingham. The Boston Beer Company, based in Plymouth, received $ 8.1 million. “
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At Schooner’s in Hull, owner Jackie Chase said the money will help pay the new employees despite struggling with a shortage of waiters and dishwashers.
The season wasn’t great, she said, as the outdoor seating couldn’t be used for most of June with multiple heat waves or July with seemingly incessant rain.
More:After a hot and dry June, July dampened plans with record-breaking rainfall on the South Shore
“It’s 100 degrees all of June and then July and it’s raining. So far this summer has not been good,” said Chase.
See Plymouth Plymouth President Lea Filson said she’s never heard of restaurants that haven’t received Small Business Administration grants, but there have been so many state and federal grants that probably everyone gets something.
“Our hope is that everyone gets the money they need and if they don’t get it, they won’t give up and apply next time,” she said.
More:Hingham Restaurants, Caterers Received More than $ 2.3 million from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund
At the Plymouth winery, Mullaney received just over $ 1 million.
“For us, 2021 is just as bad as 2020,” said Mullaney. “We have to have all of these weddings starting in 2020 that never happened but have already been paid for. We have to spend money to do these. None of our expenses went away.”
Mullaney said they would have to continue paying rent and insurance during the pandemic even though the store was closed.
The $ 1 million will help the company get through the winter and will “help a huge amount,” especially because it comes with far fewer restrictions than funding the Paycheck Protection Program, which has 75 percent of the money for the payroll was used. During the lockdown, it meant employees were being paid not to work, he said.
11/11/2020:Let’s Eat, Ledgerland: Plymouth’s 1620 Winery is undergoing a pandemic shift
01/29/2021:Governor Baker speaks in Plymouth about small business grants and vaccines
July 20, 2021:1620 Winery wins major international competition
Business is booming at Daddy’s Beach Club in Hull, probably fueled by live music and rainy weather driving people into the house.
“This year it was almost like the locks opened when they allowed indoor dining and everyone was down on the beach,” said owner Jeff Lempkin.
His Small Business Administration Scholarship will take the pressure off to ensure the company makes enough money to keep it open through the winter. The grant money can be used until 2023, he said.
“We have two years to use it up, which is great,” he said.
Lempkin said he will try to save as much of the grant money as possible in order to survive the slow times to come.
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“This summer has been good, we have been able to work and have been able to save a lot of money for the off-season,” he said. “We’ll use it up as needed.”
According to the numbers
In Quincy, grants were awarded to 35 restaurants, exceeding $ 2.36 million for the Royal Hotpot on Parkingway and $ 1.3 million for China Pearl on Quincy Avenue. Grants to Quincy restaurants are $ 13.6 million, followed by Plymouth with $ 12.5 million to 24 restaurants, including the $ 8 million to the Boston Beer Company.
Eight restaurants in Hull received grants of $ 1.4 million and nine restaurants in Marshfield received $ 3 million.
In Braintree, 11 restaurants received a total of $ 3.2 million, a figure slightly skewed by a $ 1.6 million grant to Elena’s Café. The company has 13 locations in Braintree, Quincy, Norwood, Dedham and Boston.
For a full list of South Shore Scholarships, visit patriotledger.com.
