D.C.’s Office of Nightlife and Culture announced a new grant program to help restaurants prepare their outdoor dining spaces for winter.

The Streatery Winter Ready grant program will offer $6,000 to restaurants and non-food retail businesses with an active sidewalk cafe permit — including temporary “streatery” permits — or a private outdoor space with a liquor license, like beer gardens.

Applications will be accepted starting today, and funds will be distributed on a rolling basis beginning Oct. 1.

The program has an added emphasis on locally owned and operated businesses. To qualify for the grants, at least one of the following must apply: more than half of the business is owned by D.C. residents; more than half of the employees are D.C. residents; or more than half of the restaurant’s total receipts originate in D.C.

The $4 million in funds will help restaurants rent or purchase tents, heaters, propane, lighting, furniture, and business marketing for the cold months ahead, which local restaurant owners predict will be even more brutal than the summer has been for business.

Since the pandemic hit Washington, many restaurants have relied on takeout, delivery, pop-ups, and outdoor dining to stay afloat, while plenty have closed their doors until further notice — and dozens more have closed permanently. Just last week, the Hilton brothers announced they would close seven of their local establishments in October, symbolizing the true devastation the service industry has felt over the past six months.

To date, the D.C. government has approved nearly 600 streateries across the District (the $4 million winter streatery program would cover 666 restaurants) and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration has spent nearly $1 billion in overall relief efforts, $33 million of which has gone to small businesses. Bowser said at a press briefing last week that the city needs a “real federal stimulus and sustained federal stimulus” to help D.C.’s hard-hit businesses recover.

More information about the Streatery Winter Ready program  is available here.