Foundation announces new grant opportunity for independent restaurants impacted by July 4 floods

Texas Restaurant Foundation announces new grant opportunity for independent restaurants in Central Texas impacted by the July 4 floods

Restaurants may apply online through the TRF beginning December 4

KERRVILLE, TX (July 10, 2025) - Today, the Texas Restaurant Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Texas Restaurant Association, announced that it will open its TX Restaurant Relief Fund to provide more than $30K in grants to Central Texas restaurants impacted by the July 4 floods. The grants will be awarded to help local businesses with their long-term rebuilding efforts, so they can keep their doors open and their workers employed. Eligible restaurants must be independent, have plans to reopen or remain open, have suffered physical or economic damage from the floods and be located in one or more of the following Texas counties:

Bandera, Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Coke, Comal, Concho, Edwards, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, Menard, Real, Reeves, San Saba, Schleicher, Sutton, Tom Green, Travis, Uvalde and Williamson.

"Restaurants are the heartbeat of every community, and many in Central Texas are still navigating the financial and emotional toll of the July 4 floods," Emily Williams Knight, EdD, president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association and the Texas Restaurant Foundation, said. "These grants give independent operators a lifeline so they can continue serving the employees and neighborhoods that count on them. We are grateful to our partners and donors who make it possible for us to stand with these businesses as they recover."

To support direct relief efforts, the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has committed to an initial match of up to $15K in total for grants awarded by TRF to restaurants located in one of its service area. Those counties are Bandera, Blanco, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Mason, Real and Uvalde.

"Our region is still healing from the July 4 floods, and restaurants are central to that recovery," Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, said. "These businesses feed our families, employ our neighbors and anchor our communities. We are proud to join the Texas Restaurant Foundation to match these grants so independent restaurants in our service area can take meaningful steps toward rebuilding and long-term stability."

TRF will process applications on a first come, first served basis as funding is available. For more information or to apply, visit this link.


ABOUT THE TX RESTAURANT RELIEF FUND
The mission of the TX Restaurant Relief Fund is to provide financial support to independent restaurants in Texas with funds designed to save employee jobs, rebuild foodservice communities and provide relief in times of need. Born out of the financial crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the relief fund raised and distributed more than $3.5 million to support over 800 independent restaurants and their employees during the pandemic, all while feeding communities in need.

The TX Restaurant Relief Fund is a project of the Texas Restaurant Foundation-a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on the education and development of Texas' restaurant industry workforce. Donations are tax-deductible in keeping with applicable laws, regulations, and IRS rules. To learn more and contribute, please visit our website..