Restaurant owners in Orange County can get reimbursed up to $1,000 if they have spent that much on cleaning supplies, masks for employees, even hand sanitizer going back as far as March.
Officials say it's all about doing the right thing and they believe money talks.
The goal they say is to reward restaurants that are playing by the rules, It turns out there are many places in this county to grab a bite.
The program is called SafeDineOC.
In time, the website will list all the restaurants that qualified for the CARES Act grants. Authorities hope that also helps shine a light on the hamburger joints and coffee shops that are working to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Andrew Do, an Orange County supervisor hopes these measures will chip away at COVID-19 and help justify the reopening of the county.
Restaurant owners at the Circle in Orange say the struggle is real. Until they were able to move on to the street for outdoor dining many wondered if they'd make it through the economic hunger pains.
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The Orange County Business Council will oversee the program, while the county itself provides the inspections, similar to giving restaurants a grade from the health department.
What SafeDineOC does not address is what happens when a restaurant employee tests positives for coronavirus.
That information is not part of this incentive program. County officials say they will look at other type of businesses in the future but that eating is something that affects many people.
