Ruth's Chris is returning $20 million in federal loans after facing a backlash The owner of the Ruth's Chris Steak House has said it will repay $20 million in federal loans after facing backlash for its access to the money, which was meant to aid small businesses. It's possible that Ruth's needed the funding, as restaurants face declining revenues with dining rooms closed across the US. But the company has also enjoyed several years of profits. Last year, Ruth's earned a profit of $42 million on revenue of $468 million. In turn, the company last year spent about $42 million on share repurchases and paying out dividends. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories . Ruth's Hospitality Group Inc, the owner of the Ruth's Chris Steak House chain of restaurants, said last week it would quickly repay $20 million in federal loans after backlash against the company's access to the money, which was meant to aid struggling small businesses. The company, which operates or franchises 159 restaurants, announced the repayment after an online petition circulated with more than 260,000 signatures demanding that Ruth's return the loan.