Restaurateurs spent most of last year successfully lobbying Congress to create a fund to aid restaurants battered by the pandemic. Now they’re mounting another lobbying campaign seeking more money, even as Congress turns its attention to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure proposal and as Covid relief legislation recedes from the congressional agenda.
— The Restaurant Revitalization Fund has received more than 300,000 applications for aid since it started accepting them earlier this month. The deadline to apply is May 24, the Small Business Administration, which administers the fund, announced on Thursday. Restaurant lobbyists say it’s already clear that the $28.6 billion in relief funds now available aren’t nearly enough. Erika Polmar, the Independent Restaurant Coalition’s executive director, said restaurants need as much as $160 billion…