Smitty’s Restaurant x RRRF
Businesses throughout Kawartha Lakes greatly benefited from the more than $1.2 million investment made in May 2020 for the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) provided by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
In Lindsay, Smitty’s Restaurant had to rapidly adapt to new protocols and reduced capacity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With RRRF support through the Kawartha Lakes CFDC, it received funding at a critical time and was able to continue business operations and maintain 25 jobs.
“2020 has proven to be more than just a challenge, and I love a challenge,” said Smitty’s owner/operator, Shelly Hardaker. “The Kawartha Lakes CFDC was instrumental with their guidance and the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund. It has enabled me to deal with my reopening and focus 100 percent on the recovery for my family and all of my staff.
From June 2020 to March 2021, the Kawartha Lakes CFDC distributed liquidity support to eligible local businesses for fixed operating costs where revenues had been affected by the pandemic. To provide targeted assistance to the small towns and communities served, the KLCFDC focused on assisting a range of businesses with loans from $10,000 up to $60,000.