SALT LAKE CITY — The "Tip Your Server" program, set up to help struggling service industry workers in downtown area bars and restaurants, has begun distributing funds.
The campaign, created by actor and local bar owner Ty Burrell, worked with the Downtown Alliance to raise funds for bar and restaurant workers impacted by COVID-19 closures. The campaign is no longer raising money, said Ryan Mack, the communications director for the Downtown Alliance.
To date, it has raised $656,491. Mack said payments of $500 have been distributed to 922 restaurant and bar employees impacted by COVID-19 and the March earthquake that rattled the Wasatch Front. Approximately $461,000 has been handed out so far to those who applied for assistance. The funds are expected to be paid out entirely by early September, Mack said.
Related: Utah Booze News podcast interview with Ty Burrell on "Tip Your Server" campaign