The National Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s coronavirus employee relief fund was so popular that it crashed almost immediately after applications opened

Joanna Fantozzi

In late March, the National Restaurant Association’s philanthropic arm, the Education Foundation, announced that they were partnering with Guy Fieri to raise money for out-of-work restaurant workers with their Restaurant Relief America campaign that would provide one-time $500 stipends to all eligible applicants. Since it was announced, over $10 million has been raised for restaurant workers, with major contributions from companies including Uber Eats and Tyson Foodservice.

But the relief fund was so popular that on the application launch date of April 2, eager applicants crashed the website just after midnight and frustrated laid-off employees were unable to access it.

The NRAEF confirmed this news on Twitter on April 3, saying “please check back with us on April 6 for an update” on the status of applications.

On April 6, the NRAEF updated prospective stipend recipients with news about the stipend.

“Over the weekend we worked to improve our ability to administer relief funds to restaurant workers across the country,” an NRAEF spokesperson said. “We have upgraded our system to improve functionality and expand capacity.”

Here are the updates for people in various stages of the application process:

“Submitted Applications – We are reviewing applications already submitted and will begin approving and notifying applicants about their financial grant this week.

Related:Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot creates $100M coronavirus relief fund for small businesses

 Applications in Process – We are contacting nearly 13,000 individuals via email who had begun the application process but were unable to finish and submit their request for financial aid.

New Applications – We will reopen to new applicants once we have allowed time for individuals with applications in process. We encourage all new applicants to carefully read our updated FAQ section on this site so that you are prepared for the application process.”

The NRAEF will update its website for applicants on Wednesday, April 8 with a new application process.

For our most up-to-date coverage, visit the coronavirus homepage.

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected]

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