El Borrego Restaurante, San Diego CA

El Borrego has been a client of Elias Sheinberg for many years. It was recently featured
in a “Small Business Success Story” video on Get Digital California’s web site, which is
a California State-sponsored platform.

In March, at the very beginning of the pandemic challenges, El Borrego applied for
assistance under the PPP through CDC Small Business Finance. Our chapter had helped
El Borrego apply for and secure a loan from the CDC to build out dining space in an
outdoor area five years earlier, so they were well known to the CDC.

After what the owner described as a speedy and effortless loan application process, they
received a $35,000 PPP loan in April, which enabled them to retain their two employees.
They also applied for assistance under the EIDL, and received a $90,000 loan. All in all,
they are grateful for the support they received. That (and a lot of hard work, creativity and
effective pivoting) has helped them get past what is hoped to be the worst.

As an aside (nothing to do with the PPP etc.) their decision (with our help) to create an
outdoor dining space five years before the pandemic probably contributed to their ability
to survive in this environment.

(Special thanks to volunteers Elias Sheinberg and Jason Smith for pulling together this success
story!)