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Colorado outdoor dining fund up to $1.8 million; 129 restaurants receive aid

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Posted at 2:48 PM, Dec 04, 2020
and last updated 2021-01-05 15:28:54-05

DENVER — Colorado restaurants are getting more relief through the state's Winter Outdoor Dining Fund, which is now up to $1.8 million, according to a news release from Gov. Jared Polis' office Friday.

The governor's office is working with the Colorado Restaurant Association, the Colorado Restaurant Foundation, Xcel Energy and the Xcel Energy Foundation to raise money for the fund.

As of Friday, 129 restaurants had received aid through an initial round of grant funding. If restaurants weren't funded during the first round, their application will roll over to the second round of funding, officials said.

DoorDash, the food-delivery app, donated $500,000 to fund, and other organizations have contributed, including the Colorado Health Foundation, MDC Holdings, New Belgium Brewing Company and the Denver Broncos Charitable Foundation.

Xcel Energy made an initial contribution of $500,000 to the Colorado Restaurant Association Foundation to help kickstart the Winter Outdoor Dining Fund. More information about the fund and how to donate can be found here.

Restaurants in "Level Red" counties are not allowed to offer indoor dining, making business a challenge, especially during the winter months. The outdoor dining fund is raising money to help restaurants provide outdoor dining concepts that will make the colder months more comfortable for customers.