Middletown Gives Out $422K In CARES Grants To 29 Local Businesses

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — On Feb. 9, the Middletown Township Committee presented eight local small businesses with a check for $15,000.

This is federal COVID relief money, provided to help American small businesses get through the coronavirus pandemic; the funds were distributed through the Middletown Economic Relief Program (MERP). In total, Middletown Twp. has given out $422,500 to 29 local small businesses and non-profits through this initiative.

You'll recognize the names of some of these local businesses that got the $15,000 grants: All Natural Dry Cleaners, Code Ninjas, Greens & Grains, Middletown Pancake House, Monmouth Museum, No Limits Cafe, Rock’n Music Academy and Zeek’s Tees. (Not all businesses wanted to be identified.)

Middletown Mayor Tony Perry, Committeewoman Pat Snell and Committeeman Rick Hibell went door to door through Middletown last Tuesday, dropping off the checks.

“Business owners will have this money in their hands before the end of the month," vowed Perry.

Kitsa Mavrode, the owner of the Middletown Pancake House on Hwy. 35, said she appreciated it.

“Diners who don't yet feel comfortable with inside dining are not venturing out to restaurants, yet our bills and expenses remain unchanged from pre-COVID levels,” she said. “We intend to use the MERP funds to continue hiring local residents, extend table spacing and erect an outdoor tent and tables when warm weather arrives.”

“Like many small business, we are still recovering from the effects of the 2020 shutdown and capacity restrictions due to COVID,” said Stadi Sinclair, owner of Code Ninjas, at 498 Hwy. 35, in the Union Square Shopping Center. “Having lost over 60% of our customers, the MERP grant will provide a financial safety net that will us allow us to pay staff and operational costs while we rebuild and regain students."

“We are very grateful to Middletown for supporting No Limits Cafe," said No Limits founder Stephanie Cartier. "We opened 2.5 weeks prior to the pandemic so we were hit hard. This $15,000 will allow us to continue giving our employees with intellectual disabilities meaningful employment. We love our Middletown community!”

“This financial relief will give us the opportunity to rebuild our student base and move forward in our 15th year of offering music instruction in Middletown,” said Howard L. Edwards Jr., the owner of Rock’n Music Academy, also in the Union Square Shopping Center.

As Patch reported last October, Middletown announced that any Middletown-based businesses and non-profit that fit the criteria could apply.

Of the 29 small businesses that applied, 26 were awarded $15,000, and the other three were awarded $10,000, $10,500, and $12,500 (those are the amounts the business owner requested).

The money was provided through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Department of Housing and Urban Development via the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) Program.

“Because of the pandemic, we are down quite a bit in sales,” said Frank Zechman, owner of Zeek’s Tees on Hwy. 36 in Belford. “This is normally a very slow time for us, plus being hit with all this snow, so I thank Middletown Township for helping out our small businesses to help get through this very tough time."

“This is one way we are able to give back to our small-business owners who have been putting their heart and soul into trying to adapt to the continuous blows COVID has dealt," said Deputy Middletown Mayor Rick Hibell, who is also a business owner and said he understands first-hand the financial burden this pandemic has wrought.

“We're very excited to be able to provide some financial assistance to our dedicated and hard-working small business owners," said Perry, who also serves on the board of the Eastern Monmouth Area Chamber of Commerce.

"The funding enables the Museum to continue moving forward during these truly uncertain times," said Erika Hellstrom, Executive Director of the Monmouth Museum (765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft).

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