City of Chicago Updated Hours of Operation for Restaurants, Sidewalk Cafes, Expanded Outdoor Dining FAQs
As of Sunday, June 7, the city of Chicago's 9:00 p.m. curfew is no longer in effect.
Restaurants are permitted to sell food on their sidewalk cafes until the time specified by their retail food establishment license.
For example, if your retail food license specifies that you can remain open until midnight, you can sell food on your sidewalk cafe until midnight.
Restaurants with outdoor dining and a valid liquor license can sell alcohol at their establishment for on-premise, outdoor consumption until 11:00 p.m.
Therefore, if your restaurant's sidewalk cafe is permitted to remain open until midnight for the sale of food, your restaurant can not sell alcohol on your sidewalk cafe after 11:00 p.m.
Click here
to read the industry notice.
The City’s 9:00 p.m. liquor sales curfew remains in effect for to-go sales of alcohol at all retail establishments.
Licensed establishments must display a posting indicating the prohibition of liquor sales after 9:00 or 11:00 p.m.
Click here
to download the notice to post at your establishment.
The city has also issued an updated FAQ on expanded outdoor dining, sidewalk cafes, and street closures.
Click here
to review the updated FAQ.
Click here
to download the full Phase III outdoor dining guidelines for restaurants.
Restaurants must follow all outdoor dining regulations and social distancing measures - including six feet between tables - or risk enforcement action from the city of Chicago.
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Cook County Community Recovery Fund - Loans Available for Suburban Small Businesses
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All applicants must be located in suburban Cook County (outside the boundaries of the city of Chicago)
. The Cook County Community Recovery Fund offers one-time, zero-interest loans of up to $20,000 for small businesses and up to $10,000 for independent contractors in suburban Cook County.
Small Businesses located in suburban Cook County are eligible for the fund if they:
- Employ 25 or fewer employees
- Earn less than $3 million in annual revenue
- Saw revenues decrease up to 25% as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Independent Contractors located in suburban Cook County are eligible for the fund if they:
- Make at least half their yearly income in 1099 contract work
- Earn less than $100,000 annually
- Reside in suburban Cook County (outside the boundaries of the City of Chicago)
The application will remain open for ten days from the launch. Loans will be available to applicants who qualify for the Cook County Community Recovery Fund until the funds are exhausted.
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Safe To Reopen Webinar: Proper Disinfecting and Instilling Consumer Confidence
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Join the IRA and panelists from
Ecolab
on
Thursday, June 11 at 10:00 a.m.
for a webinar on providing expert guidance on cleaning and disinfecting, as well as communicating with customers to instill confidence as restaurants reopen and welcome back guests.
This webinar is provided in partnership with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and the Cook County Community Recovery Initiative.
Panelists:
- Matt Rhodes, Sr. Technical Account Specialist, Restaurant Segment, Ecolab
- Elizabeth Graven, Assistant Marketing Manager, Ecolab
- Dan Pignato, Assistant Vice President, Institutional Area Manager, Western Great Lakes, Ecolab
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Chicago Cocktails to Go Ordinance Advances to City Council, Passage Expected Wednesday, June 17
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Earlier today, the Committee on License and Consumer Protection of the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance that will allow for the sale of cocktails to go in the city.
IRA President & CEO Sam Toia, IRA Advisory Council member Norman Bolden of Norman's Bistro, IRA Advisory Council member Erick Williams for Virtue, and IRA member Julia Momose of Kumiko testified in favor of the legislation. We thank Julia and the
Cocktails for Hope
initiative for their efforts to pass legislation at the state level to allow for the sale of cocktails to go.
The IRA also urged the Committee to work to find ways to allow for limited indoor dining and drinking at restaurants and bars.
Click here
to read the ordinance.
Click here
to read an overview of the legislation. The ordinance is expected to pass the full City Council on Wednesday, June 17.
Read more:
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Governor Pritzker Signs Workers' Compensation for Essential Workers Legislation
Governor Pritzker has signed into law a measure lawmakers passed last month that differs slightly from an emergency rule issued, then revoked, in April regarding who covers the costs when a worker gets COVID-19.
The law qualifies essential employees for workers’ compensation if they contract the coronavirus on the job, with businesses able to rebut the claims by showing they followed public health guidance. The law also spreads out the cost of Covid-19-induced increases to unemployment insurance to all Illinois businesses, and allows Illinois to take advantage of an extra $2.1 billion in unemployment insurance money from the federal government for seven weeks of extended unemployment benefits.
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IRA Discusses Restaurant Relief with Senator Duckworth
This morning, members of the IRA Board of Directors and Advisory Council spoke with Senator Tammy Duckworth about various forms of potential relief for restaurants at the federal level. We thank Senator Duckworth for joining us to hear the concerns of Illinois' restaurant community.
Topics discussed on the call included:
- A “Healthy Restaurants” Tax Credit or Grant Program to help businesses make changes to accommodate to continued social distancing, sanitization, etc.
- A Restaurant and Foodservice Industry Recovery Fund (RFIRF)
- Enhancements to the Employer Retention Tax Credit (ERTC)
- Liability Protections for Businesses
The IRA continues to advocate for enhanced regulatory and legislative relief for restaurants at the local, state and federal levels.
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June 30 Deadline for New PPP Loans
The legislation includes the following changes to the PPP program:
- Loans that can be used for a 24-week covered period (instead of 8 weeks)
- Eligibility for loan forgiveness – if at least 60% of the loan is used on payroll (instead of 75%.)
- Loan forgiveness will still be possible if full-time employees (FTEs) won’t return to work
- Five year loan-repayment terms for future PPP loans
- Payroll tax deferment restored
The IRA and National Restaurant Association were among the first
to call for fixes to PPP
to preserve our imperiled industry.
June 30 is the final day for those who have not previously received a PPP loan to be issued one.
If you have not applied or been issued a PPP loan, you are encouraged to speak with your lender as soon as possible.
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Looking for Reopening Supplies and Services? Visit Our Online Guide
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The IRA has launched a
premier resource base
of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and reopening services for restaurants, including: hand sanitizer, face coverings, gloves, cleaning and sanitizing supplies, plexiglass, menus, floor markers, signs, and more.
Click here
to let us know if you would like to join the IRA’s reopening resource page and offer PPE materials and equipment to restaurants and bars throughout Illinois. Companies must be current IRA Associate members in order to be featured.
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Please
visit our website
for the latest COVID-19 updates, in addition to the above resources and information for your business. Updated as of 5:25 p.m. on Monday, June 8.
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