The City of Hercules allocated $100,000 to assist certain types of desired eating and drinking businesses with move-in costs. The initial round of funding has been awarded to four businesses, so additional grants are not currently available.

This page will be updated if additional grant funds become available in the future. 

This grant program is focused on assisting certain types of desired new retail businesses with move-in costs associated with occupying vacant storefront spaces in Hercules. It aims to attract eating and drinking establishments that increase vibrancy and provide amenities, such as sit-down or fast casual restaurants, breweries and taprooms, wine bars, and craft distilleries, to locate in Hercules.

Basic Criteria:

• The business is a brick-and-mortar, for-profit, sales tax-generating businesses in one of the following categories:

• Restaurant
• Café (Refer to application website for further details)
• Wine bar
• Brewery or taproom
• Craft distillery

• The business must lease/rent their commercial property directly from a landlord.
• The space must be vacant and available for lease as of the start date of the program.
• The business is either independently owned/operated or a locally owned franchisee (i.e., local outlets of chains or franchises that are headquartered outside of the nine-county Bay Area and/or have more than six locations are not eligible)
• The business must provide a matching move-in expenditure equal to or greater than the grant amount.

Grant Amount: Grants of $5,000 (minimum) to $25,000 (maximum) per qualified business are available. The grant amount must be matched by the applicant.

To access the application and detailed program criteria, please click here.