Last updated: 2/24/25

Re-FRESH Program

The Revitalization of Food Restaurants and Establishments to Stabilize Holistically (Re-FRESH) Program supports brick and mortar businesses negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The goal of the Re-FRESH Program is to create stability amongst small food businesses, restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, taverns, and bars. Participating business owners create a plan to reactivate their business, setting goals to recover from pandemic setbacks.

The Office of Small Business office provides wrap-around support services to Re-FRESH Program participants through technical assistance partners, such as:

working one-on-one with a business coach
offering support and resources
creating comprehensive marketing plans, and
much more.

The Re-FRESH Program Application closed on September 20, 2024. If you have any questions about this program, please contact the Office of Small Business at smallbiz@boston.gov or 617-635-0355.

RE-FRESH PROGRAM INFORMATION

Program Information

Round Two Awardees

@UNION
A&L Bakery
Ajeen
All Spice Restaurant
Angel Meat Market
Anna's Cafe Serenade Chocolatiers Outlet
APM Coffee
Bab Al-Yemen Restaurant
Bean & Leaf Cafe
Bees and Thank You
Bella's Market
Billy's Texas BBQ
Bitez
Black Seed Halal Grill
Blue Hill Halal Market
Bootleg Special
Boston News Cafe
Cafe Gigu
Cafe Juice Up, LLC
Chacarero
Christo's Pizzeria
College Pizza
Democracy Brewing
Dirty Water Dough Co.
Distraction Brewing Company
Dudley Cafe
El Punto Restaurant Lounge & Hall
Energize
Fasika Cafe
Five Horses Tavern
Fresh Food Generation
Futago Udon Restaurant
Hidden Kitchen
Hong Kong Eatery
Inbound Pizza & Restaurant
International Halal Market
Irie Jamaican Style Restaurant
Irish Village
Island Style Restaurant
Jibei Chuan
JJ Foley's Cafe
KrayPlates
Laughing Monk Cafe
Ledeta Gebeya

Lord Dawgz
Lotus Test Kitchen
Lower Mills Tavern
Mela Restaurant
Merengue Restaurant
Mi Finca Mexican Food and Pizzeria
Midnight Morning
Mig's Dogs LLC
Mini Donut Diva
Mo’Rockin Fusion
Montien Thai Restaurant
Monumental Market
Naughty Waffle
On The Edge Nutrition
One Family Diner
Pastoral
Penguin Pizza
Pimental Market
Pizza Stop
Purple Cactus
Recreo Coffee
Revelry Food Truck
Rhythm 'N Wraps
Rock City Pizza
Ruggles Pizza and Cafe
Savin Bar and Kitchen
Soul on Shawmut
Stokes BBQ Truck
Suya Joint
Sweet Life Bakery and Cafe
Tandoor and Curry on Wheels
Tarboosh Mediterranean Grill
Ten Tables
The Puddingstone Tavern
Theo's Cozy Corner
Ula Cafe
Umami Tsunami Taqueria
Upham's House of Pizza
Via Cannuccia
Victoria's Diner
Vivi Bubble Tea Brighton
Waku Waku
WOW TIKKA

Round One Awardees

2TWENTY2
ADK Sandwich Shop
Ariana Restaurant
Blue Mountain Jamaican Restaurant
Bonne Chance Cafe
Bono Restaurant and Catering
Brasil Brazil
BRED
Butterfly Falafel
Cafe Iterum
Cape Verde Taste
Caramelo Bakery & Cafe
Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe
Chill on Park
Coco Leaf
Comfort Kitchen
Corner Cafe Bakery
Crispy Dough Pizzeria
D'Guru
dbar
Don Tequeno y Dona Arepa
Dora Taqueria
Drydock Cafe
Holly Crab
Huong Que Vietnamese Restaurant
Koy
L’Osteria
La Terraza
Las Delicias Colombianas 2
Las Palmas Restaurant
Love Art Sushi
Madhouse Cafe
Maxine's on Saint James

Melodias
Mexicali Sushi Bar
Mi Pueblito Orient Heights
Mi Pueblito Restaurant
Mi Rancho
Model Cafe
Montecristo
North Street Grille
Oasis Restaurant
Papi's Stuffed Sopapillas
PeKa Restaurant
Perros Paisas
Pizzeria Rustico
Restaurante Cesaria
Rinconcito Salvadoreño
Rootastes
Roundhead Brewing Company
Savvor Restaurant and Lounge
Solid Ground Cafe
spicy world
Sweet Kingdom
Tacos Calleteco
Tasty Pot
Tertulias Cafe
The Jamaican Hummingbird Restaurant
The Koji Club
Top Mix Bar & Kitchen
Tu Metapan Restaurant
Vasquez Restaurant
We Grow Microgreens
Wen's Noodle
Woodys Grill & Tap
Zaz

Re-FRESH Program Eligibility and Application

Eligible businesses include food businesses, restaurants, bars, taverns, and juice shops. We prioritize businesses that are located in low-to-moderate-income communities.

Businesses must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

Must employ 30 or fewer individuals, including the business owner
Must earn no more than $3 million in annual revenue
Must have faced an economic hardship directly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. This could include, but is not limited to: declines in revenues or business closures due to the pandemic; greater difficulty accessing credit than prior to the pandemic; increased costs to starting the business due to the pandemic; lost expected startup capital due to the pandemic
Must have a commercial or mobile space in the City of Boston (home-based businesses are not eligible). Search your address using this map to check your eligibility.
If deemed necessary by the Small Business office, must complete the necessary Re-FRESH Program workshops/trainings
Must be in Good Standing with the City of Boston, with no back taxes owed on property, personal property, or motor excise

Businesses can receive up to $15,000. Small Business may award full funding, partial funding, or no funding.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Businesses must submit a complete application by September 20, 2024.

Businesses should be prepared to provide the following documents:

Valid certificate of occupancy (as appropriate)
Valid business certificate from the City of Boston OR your 2023 or 2024 annual report for your Massachusetts state-registered corporation
Budget template provided in application
Letter of community support from a neighborhood or community group (OPTIONAL)
Copy of 2023 IRS filing for business tax
Valid Supplier ID

Please note: Funds cannot be used for owner's salary but can be used for employees' salaries.

GENERAL PROGRAM POLICIES

Grant funds must be used only in association with business establishments located within the city of Boston
Grant funds are awarded to a business, not to an individual
Applicants should read the full terms and conditions of this grant
Food businesses in Qualified Census Tracts will be prioritized, but all are welcome to apply