Today, Governor Walz announced new state restrictions to control the explosive spread of COVID 19. The following restrictions take effect on Friday, November 20 at 11:59 p.m.
- Bars and restaurants must close in-person food and drink service, both indoor and outdoor. Take-out, curbside, and delivery may continue.
- Minneapolis businesses with curbside pickup zone can continue using those spaces. Businesses who do not have a curbside pickup zone can request one.
- The following facility types must be closed.
- Gyms and other fitness facilities, public pools, including facilities within housing complexes.
- Recreation and entertainment facilities, such as bowling alleys, theaters, movie theaters, museums, arcades, etc.
- Other venues providing indoor or outdoor events, such as festivals or fairs. Drive-in events may continue.
- No wedding receptions or gatherings after funerals will be allowed. Weddings, funerals and church services will be able to continue.
- No changes are being made to retail, personal services (e.g. salons and barbershops), schools, or places of worship.
These closures will be in effect from Friday, November 20 through Friday, December 18.
See staysafemn.gov for more details
Minneapolis businesses can contact the Small Business Team at [email protected] or 612-673-2499 with questions.
Resources for Minneapolis businesses
Grants for Restaurants and Bars
Hennepin County as approved $8 million in CARES Act funding to be used for grants to restaurants and bars. Eligible businesses must:
- Be locally owned and operated
- Have fewer than 100 employees
- Collect less than $6 million in annual revenue
The maximum grant will be $15,000. Applications open on Monday, November 23 at noon.
Elevate business HC
Elevate Business HC is a new public/private initiative from Hennepin County and The Minneapolis Chamber offering pro bono services to businesses located in Hennepin County. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest, businesses have been greatly impacted and economic recovery is a priority. The goal of the program is to provide resources to help re-build, re-establish and re-ignite local businesses.
Elevate Business HC provides expertise in three areas:
- Technical Assistance: One-on-one consultation with professional service providers to find solutions in a variety of areas including financing, human resources, technology, and many others
- Peer-to-Peer Roundtables: Reoccurring and facilitated small group discussions segmented by industry and areas of participant interest with a focus on sharing best practices and problem solving
- Topic-Driven Webinars: Industry and subject matter experts will discuss issues facing employers with a focus on workforce needs in remote environments during the COVID-19 pandemic
Visit www.elevatebusinesshc.com, to learn more and register your business
Funding for Elevate Business HC is provided by Hennepin County through the Federal CARES Act.
Legal Support Services
The City of Minneapolis has partnered with four legal firms through the B-TAP Professional Series to provide one-on-one legal support for businesses recovering from the Coronavirus pandemic and the civil unrest that occurred after the death of George Floyd. Feel free to reach out to a firm directly or contact us at [email protected] for more information.
- Davis Law Office – Contact: [email protected]
- Harun Law – Focus on East African owned businesses. Contact: 952-297-5974 or [email protected]
- Hortensia Law – Focus on Latino owned businesses/Spanish language support. Contact: 612-246-5016 or [email protected]
- Just Law, LLC – Contact: 612-388 -6514 or [email protected]