Nearly five dozen Butler County businesses received hospitality grants as part of the state's COVID-19 economic recovery project.

Pennsylvania has doled out $2.1 million to 58 county businesses as part of the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Relief Program, or CHIRP for short, designed to help restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses in their recovery from the pandemic.

Those 58 businesses were part of the nearly 5,900 companies statewide to receive part of the $145 million total distribution. Eligible businesses could receive up to $50,000, with grants awarded in $5,000 increments.

Butler County businesses received an average of $40,000 each from the grant program, with a plurality of companies — 29 — receiving $45,000, the largest grant award disbursed in the county.

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