The Tap House Just Called Out The City of Rochester

UPDATE:

The City of Rochester has a website that shows how CARES funding is being used. According to the site, The Tap House has received grants for assistance with their liquor license and utilities. Aaron Parrish, the Rochester Deputy City Administrator, told KAAL-TV the business was approved for a liquor license grant but an error has delayed payment.

Original story below:

The Tap House just went off on Facebook, blasting the City of Rochester for "abandoning" the restaurant and bar industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the post, which you can read below, the downtown bar says it has received no funding from the CARES Act Liquor License Grant and unfortunately just had to lay off more of their staff.

At the bottom of this story, you'll see a heartbreaking list of businesses that have closed this year. Please continue to support our local businesses otherwise that list will continue to grow.

Rochester City Officials.... Downtown is dying on the vine. Businesses are barely hanging on. BARELY...The Downtown Tap House has not received ANY of the Cares Act Liquor License Grant $$. Not. One. Dime. Businesses have laid off staff. We just laid off more staff. We have been told by the City to "get more creative". Combine that with the fact the State and City have closed our bars, restricted our dining rooms... And our hours.

The staff being laid off across the Industry is massive. Where is their help? Where is their recourse? We need our City officials to be working tirelessly to ensure those affected by the massive downturn in business have a way to make ends meet. That is their responsibility.
Our entire Industry has been left to dry on an Island. ...We have been labeled "Insensitive", "Covid Spreaders", and "Uninformed". We have been shut down, financially devastated, abandoned by the City, and ignored. We've been told to "shut-up", "grow a pair", and my favorite..."realize we are in a pandemic". The last one was followed by many " F -you Tap House!!!". Nice - This is what we are dealing with. Every.Damn.Day. Please spare us your comments about us "Not Getting It". We Get It. We Live It. We are smacked in the face every day. We fall on the sword every day WE> GET> IT>
What we don't get...Is where is our City? Where are the resources promised back in September for the license fees? The generous offer to use stimulus monies, already allocated for small businesses affected by the pandemic, to show the City cares. We have yet to see it. And the 50% fee grant??? MIA...And now we have businesses, who have paid in advance for their 2am license, ( we are not one of them) who are " out their money". The City should be contacting all of them, and refunding the monies collected. It is only fair. The businesses that are soon due to pay the second half of their liquor licenses...A double fee we might add......Should be told of a pro-rated rate. Isn't that only fair? Shouldn't ALL licenses be pro-rated now? Isn't it time for the City of Rochester to " get more creative". Have they laid off people? Have they had to tell employees to go home. Have they had to make tough decisions? Have our Council members put their paychecks on hold? Isn't this suppose to be a " citizen government"? Shouldn't they have to figure out how to get along with less money...kinda like we do. And the City, if they cannot make payroll, the simple solution is to layoff people, kinda like we do. If the checkbook is red, they can do what we do... skip a few paychecks.
So if the end game is a downtown/city with no bars or restaurants... Game Won. You walk around downtown and it's like " The Walking Dead". Is this a TEST? Let's see who will survive... And for how long? Are you trying to make it appear your helping businesses? Is this the message you are sending??? Let us let you in on a little secret...The "ELEVENTH" hour has arrived... The final two minutes of the game. This is it.