Tucson, AZ--- The Tucson Metro Chamber is one of  28 Chambers throughout the state to receive a grant from the Chamber of Commerce COVID-19 Response Grant Program, [www.azgovernor.us3.list-manage.com] established  last month by Governor Ducey.  Chambers of commerce submitted proposals to the grant program to implement, or expand, any initiatives that support local businesses and accelerate local economic recovery related to COVID-19. 

Amber Smith, President and CEO of the Tucson Metro Chamber, submitted the request for funding on behalf of members of the Chamber's Tucson Restaurant Advisory Council (TRAC), a group of restaurant owners and vendors that actively engage with each other, elected officials and their representatives, and business service professionals to help guide TRAC members from survival mode to economic recovery.   

“On behalf of our restaurant members, we have championed extension-of-use permits, drafted a local ordinance to reduce third party delivery fees, and brought in expertise otherwise inaccessible by many local restaurants.  This grant will help us fulfill our ongoing mission to guide our members through programs like the “Keep Tucson Cooking” initiative, designed to reinforce the message of continued public support for local restaurants. In the coming weeks, PSAs, news releases, and media buys will run throughout Pima County through the COVID-19 pandemic and thereafter through the restaurants’ slowest part of the year".  

The Chamber will offer small business grants in 2021. These dedicated funds are limited and will be granted based on an established set of requirements.  

About the Tucson Metro Chamber  
The Tucson Metro Chamber’s mission is to champion an environment where your business thrives, and our community prospers. The Chamber is a member-based business advocacy and community development organization that represents more than 1,500 businesses, employing more than 160,000 employees in the greater Tucson area.  

The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a proclamation placing COVID-19 measures on restaurants, resort pools, gyms, attractions and other non-essential businesses that were allowed to open under Governor Ducey’s Executive Order. The Tucson Metro Chamber’s Restaurant Advisory Council (RAC) was instrumental in advocating for the changes necessary to promote public safety while removing or amending many measures that would have either have been too burdensome or costly to restaurants, bars and other businesses. In a May 15 Memorandum, County Administrator Huckelberry acknowledged that “based on discussions with Representatives of the Tucson Metro Chamber, I have made certain modifications to the proclamation that now reflect concerns that we heard from the regulated community.” When razor-thin profit margins are turning into deficits, the overall goal should be to assist and promote businesses, not increase the number of regulations on an industry that already is highly regulated by the Health Department. Of the 17 additional requirements triggered by the Board of Supervisors two weeks ago, due to the Chamber’s advocacy, two were eliminated and the other 15 modified so to still achieve the goal of public health and safety but allowing restaurants to open their dining rooms. We are also pleased to announce that one of the concepts approved by the Board was a partnership with the RAC to acknowledge and promote restaurants abiding by the measures set forth. The RAC will be working with Pima County to develop this program which will encourage health and safety amongst operators but also positively promote the restaurant and bar industry. We appreciate Supervisors Valadez, Bronson and Villegas for their willingness to support this program as well as the changes and modifications they approved. We would also like to acknowledge Supervisors Christy and Miller’s dissenting vote. Their dissent was not due to lack of support for these changes, but rather a desire to simply allow restaurants to operate under the guidelines outlined in Governor Ducey’s Executive Order. The County is awaiting a decision by the Attorney General regarding the challenge to their authority to implement these types of restrictions. The Chamber and the RAC will continue to actively work with the County on issues concerning the restaurant industry like access to PPE, third party delivery drivers and additional regulatory barriers.