Nearly 200,000 restaurants are in danger of closing permanently, according to the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), an organization formed by chefs and independent restaurant owners nationwide who began a grassroots movement to help the nation’s 500,000 independent restaurants and more than 11 million restaurant workers impacted by the pandemic. “COVID-19 has eradicated the overall appeal of restaurants, and many businesses have crumbled down due to heavy financial losses,” Lori Bogedin, chef, culinary expert, and owner of Twigs Café in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, told The Epoch Times. To provide assistance, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) launched in May 2021, when President Joe Biden announced the federal grant program, which would help relieve restaurants, bars, and other businesses in the foodservice industry. The $28.6 billion in federal aid was a portion of the total $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. The Small Business Administration (SBA) accepted grant applications for the relief, prioritizing restaurants owned …