Chicago Incidental and Tavern Licensees Must Close at Midnight Each Evening Effective Thursday, July 9
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Today, the City of Chicago announced the latest regulation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at Chicago’s bars and restaurants.
Effective immediately, all bars, restaurants, breweries and other establishments that serve alcohol for on-premises consumption are required to close by midnight each evening. Liquor sales must end at 11:00 p.m.
After midnight each night, establishments with tavern or incidental liquor licenses are permitted to continue delivery and curbside pickup of
food only
. All entrances to the establishment must close by 12:00 a.m., however, as customers are not permitted to be in the establishment after midnight.
Restaurants that do not have a liquor license are not subject to the midnight closure order.
The IRA has compiled the
various operational guidelines
that Chicago restaurants and bars must be aware of as they reopen, including: occupancy limits, sidewalk café and expanded outdoor dining FAQs, federal paid sick leave requirements, cocktails to go regulations, 11:00 p.m. ending time for alcohol sales notice, and more.
Noncompliant businesses will be issued $10,000 fines and/or immediate closure orders from BACP and the Chicago Police Department. Please take action to strictly follow all public health guidelines and occupancy requirements at your establishments.
What Restaurants and Bars Need to Know
- Restaurants are permitted to resume indoor dining at 25% occupancy per room - or 50 people per room (whichever is fewer) - at the beginning of Phase IV
- BACP has provided the following clarifications and guidance related to occupancy:
- In order to determine 25% occupancy:
- Use occupancy placard and divide by 4
- OR, calculate square footage of indoor space and then divide by 60
- Restaurants should use total square footage to determine 25% occupancy, not just dining room space
- Business owners may determine how a "room" is defined. The city's intention is that all rooms are fully separate
- Staff should not be included in the 50 per room or capacity calculations
- Tables and seats in a room where 50% or more of a wall can be removed via the opening of windows, doors, or panels do not count toward indoor occupancy, provided that dining tables are within 8-ft from such outdoor openings
- If your establishment sells liquor, all liquor sales must stop at 11:00 p.m.
- If your establishment sells liquor, all on-premise food sales must stop at 12:00 a.m., and your business must close to the public. However, delivery and curbside pickup of food only may continue, as long as customers are not allowed inside the establishment.
- No front loading drink sales prior to 11:00 p.m. will be allowed. Customers must finish their last drink and leave.
- Reservations systems are encouraged, or take guests' phone numbers and call them when their table is ready
- No dancing is permitted
- No lines outside of establishments
- If people are congregating outside of establishments, it is the business owner's responsibility to have staff outside politely ask people move along
- Call 311 if crowds refuse to dissipate
- Cocktails to go need to be in tamper-proof sealed containers - not ready for consumption on the sidewalk or street
Click here
to review the guidelines for restaurants and bars.
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State of Illinois Phase IV - Clarification on Standing Areas
All four regions of the state have transitioned into Phase IV of the Restore Illinois framework for reopening.
Click here
to read the Phase IV Guidelines for indoor and outdoor dining at restaurants and bars.
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has provided the following clarification related to restaurant and bar standing areas:
- Standing area capacity of restaurants or bars may operate at maximum of 25% of standing area capacity. If the standing area does not have a designated capacity limit, establishments may allow up to 15 people per 1,000 square feet
A state of Illinois Phase IV reopening toolkit for restaurants and bars is also available
here
.
Restaurants and bars located in the city of Chicago must follow the city's
Phase IV - Gradually Reopen guidelines
for restaurants and bars. Restaurants and bars should refer to local authorities and health departments for additional guidelines during Phase IV.
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Reminder - City of Chicago Rules Requiring Transparency from Third Party Delivery Services Now in Effect
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As of Friday, May 22, all third-party delivery companies in the city of Chicago are required to disclose to the customer an itemized cost breakdown of each transaction, including the menu price of the food, any sales or other tax, delivery charge and tip, and any commission or service fee paid by the restaurant to the third-party delivery company.
Delivery companies that fail to comply with these rules are liable for citations and fines ranging from $500 to $10,000 per day.
The IRA fully supports these rules as an important step to bring much-needed transparency and fairness to the food delivery space.
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Take Our One Question Poll - How Often Would You Like to Receive This Update?
Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the IRA has been producing this daily email update to provide Illinois restaurant operators and vendors with the latest news, alerts, and regulations that impact your business.
We’re constantly evaluating the work we do for Illinois' restaurant and hospitality industry, and we’d like to hear from you about this update.
Please answer the below one-question poll below about how often you would like to receive this email update.
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How often would you like to receive this email update?
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Keep Spreading the Word - Covered Faces Keep Open Places
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The IRA appreciates the hundreds of restaurant and bar operators that have shared our #CoveredFacesKeepOpenPlaces campaign on social media over the past several days.
If you haven't done so already, please post the above graphic - in
English
or
Spanish
- to your Instagram and/or Facebook pages anytime.
We are still seeing cities and states around the country slow down or shut down their reopening plans. To help ensure this does not happen in Illinois, we need you to share a message on your social media channels to encourage restaurateurs and diners to follow public health guidelines, be safe, and keep Illinois open.
Posting Instructions
- Post the above graphic - in English or Spanish - to Instagram and/or Facebook, and tag the Illinois Restaurant Association (@illinoisrestaurants) in your post.
- Utilize the below suggested copy and feel free to adjust to suit your tone/style!
- Tag 2-3 of your colleagues in the restaurant/hospitality industry in your post.
- Include the hashtag #CoveredFacesKeepOpenPlaces in your post
Sample Post Language
"We cannot allow our restaurants and bars to slide backwards, as we’ve seen happen in other states. Let’s all stay safe and keep our businesses open! I urge fellow operators and restaurant-goers to strictly follow local and state public safety guidelines. Wear your mask, keep social distancing, follow occupancy rules and ensure compliance. The Illinois Restaurant Promise can be found at
illinoisrestaurants.org
. Follow the guidelines, and let’s keep our restaurants and bars moving forward. We are in this together! #CoveredFacesKeepOpenPlaces @illinoisrestaurants @Tag2 @Tag3 @Tag3"
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Watch on Demand - Webinar on Menu Profitability
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Thank you to everyone that attended and our panelists from
Sysco
for joining today's webinar on menu profitability at restaurants. The presentation included several valuable best practices and analysis tools for creating effective menus.
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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 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 9.
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