SYRACUSE, N.Y. — COVID-19 relief grants totaling $350,000 will benefit 39 Syracuse small businesses and organizations as their operations continue during the ongoing pandemic. 

The Syracuse Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) awarded the funding, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh announced Feb. 25.

The second round of grants comes from federal CARES Act funding. The $350,000 figure brings the total money distributed to city businesses in Syracuse to more than $1.3 million since the COVID-19 pandemic’s start, Walsh’s office said.

Grant amounts to businesses range from $2,250 to $10,000. Four grants — ranging from $15,000 to $20,000 — were awarded to neighborhood business organizations that will use the funding for marketing and promotional efforts to attract customers to businesses in their areas.

“With this round of grants, we successfully reached more women and minority businesses. To ensure equity in the assistance being provided, our Department of Neighborhood and Business Development conducted outreach directly by email and through social media,” Walsh said. “More than half of the recipients are minority-owned and a total of 22 of the awardees are women and/or minority businesses.”

Among the recipients, 35 are individual businesses representing the following industries: restaurant/food service, consumer retail, professional services, office, and day care/childcare. 

The recipients come from 18 different neighborhoods in the city. The funds will pay for needs that include equipment for grab and go takeout service, construction of outdoor service space, website and marketing updates, and equipment to enable social distancing.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the City of Syracuse, through the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA) and SEDCO, has distributed a total of 124 grants and loans to local small businesses and nonprofits.

Grant recipients

SEDCO’s COVID-19 grant recipients are the following businesses and organizations:

• All About Me Childcare Center

• Art of Massage/Spa @ 500

• Beer Belly Deli

• Bellows Construction Specialties

• Blarney Stone

• Casa Mia Foods

• Cathy’s Cookie Kitchen

• Clinton Street Pub 

• CNY Uniforms Plus

• Coleman’s Irish Pub

• Crouse Marshall Business Improvement District (CMBID)

• Interior Innovations

• Diversify-NY

• Domain Construction Group

• Downtown Syracuse Foundation

• East Genesee Regents Association (EGRA)

• Evergreen Restaurant 

• Freedom of Espresso

• Gypsy Freedom

• It Takes a Village Family Childcare

• La’Tonia Creative Specialists 

• Miss Prissy’s BBQ

• Northeast Hawley Development Assoc. (NEHDA)

• The Hop Spot

• Phoebe’s Restaurant

• Pretty & Pink Party Planning

• Salt City Coffee

• Solvay Food Market, Inc.

• Sound Univercity 

• Southside Fitness

• Spoon & Chopsticks

• SubCat Studios

• Surf City Enterprises

• Taste of Africa

• Tier One Building Services

• Time 2 Eat Catering

• Westcott Coffee Company/Recess Coffee

• Yvette Edwards Day Care

• XO Taco

Source: sedco