MAY 26, 2020
City of Chicago Releases Outdoor Dining Guidance for Restaurants
Today, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, alongside the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), industry leaders, labor leaders, and public officials, have developed industry-specific guidelines for safely operating within Phase III: Cautiously Reopen. These guidelines are part of the city’s Be Safe Chicago framework that will be used to guide Chicago’s reopening process amid COVID-19.

Within Phase III, restaurants and coffee shops are permitted to open for outdoor dining only with specific safety guidelines. The IRA led the city of Chicago's food and beverage working group focused on reopening strategies.

Aligned with the state of Illinois but tailored to Chicago’s context, these guidelines advise employers and residents of Chicago on how to cautiously exit from shelter-in-place while continuing to prioritize the health of our most vulnerable residents. Please reference the materials on this page to help cautiously guide your businesses and employees during Phase III: Cautiously Reopen. As the city continues to reopen further, more guidelines will be added to this page.

Click here to download the guidelines for restaurants.

Guidelines include:

  • Contactless pickup available and contactless payment encouraged
  • Outdoor dining permitted for restaurants and coffee shops following standard social distancing requirements
  • Application process pending; dining areas considered outdoors include rooftops, rooms with retractable roofs and indoor spaces where 50% or more of a wall can be removed via the opening of windows, doors, or panels provided that dining tables are within 8-ft from such openings 
  • Visual signage posted throughout facilities regarding hygiene, social distancing, proper PPE and more
  • Employees required to wear face coverings at all times, face coverings for guests required when not seated
  • Employees and diners encouraged to maintain 6-ft physical distancing
  • Employees frequently disinfect facilities

More information on reopening in Chicago:

Illinois Restaurant Promise - D ownload the Poster for Your Restaurant
In partnership with the IRA and health officials across the state, restaurant owners and operators make these commitments to earn this endorsement during the COVID-19 recovery period. 

When customers see this endorsement, they can be comfortable that the restaurant is taking all necessary steps to protect their employees and customers and is committed to playing a leadership role in protecting our communities.

Click here to download the poster for your establishments.
State of Illinois Phase 3 Outdoor Dining Reopening Guidance
On Sunday, Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) released guidelines for the reopening of outdoor dining across the state during Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan. Click here to read the full announcement.

The document specifies: the eating and drinking establishments who may operate in this capacity, party size limitations, operational procedures for seating, menus and service standards, and – at the cornerstone – recommended enhanced health and safety measures to protect public well-being.

For the purposes of these guidelines, a dining or drinking area is considered an outdoor dining or drinking area if the area meets any of the following criteria:

  1. Located on the rooftop of a building or within establishment with retractable roof (should remain open during hours of operation of outdoor dining and/or drinking); or
  2. Outdoor space connected to or located on the site of a restaurant, grocery store, health or fitness center, hotel, golf club, or other social club with a food establishment license; or
  3. Indoor space where 50% or more of a wall can be removed via the opening of windows, doors, or panels provided that dining tables are within 8-ft from such opening; or
  4. Any other outdoor dining and drinking areas authorized by local governments provided that food and drinks are prepared by licensed food or liquor establishments and that proper social distancing of 6-ft between designated customer tables and/or other seating areas is observed and parties are of 6 persons or fewer

Operators must also look to their local municipalities and health departments for further guidance. The city of Chicago's guidance was released earlier today.

A state of Illinois Phase 3 reopening toolkit for restaurants and bars is also available here .

Included in the toolkit are the following materials:
PPP Fix Legislation Expected to Pass House Tomorrow
 
Together, our calls for Congress to fix the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) on behalf of the restaurant industry are making a difference.  On Wednesday, House lawmakers will vote to approve  bipartisan legislation  that will make real changes in PPP, extending the period restaurants can use to spend federal loans, giving more flexibility in how the loans are used, and extending the date that restaurants can bring their teams back online.
 
For over six weeks, the IRA has worked with you, the National Restaurant Association, and other state restaurant associations to push Congress to finally make the PPP work for an industry that has seen  more job loss  than any other during this pandemic. This week’s scheduled vote is proof-positive that together,  we can make a difference .
 
We thank House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for their bipartisan leadership in supporting this measure, and Representatives Chip Roy (R-TX) and Dean Phillips (D-MN) for drafting this needed legislation.
 
The Senate is considering how to fix the PPP – and we will need your voice to press for them to finish the job. Stay tuned for an update after the House vote and a call-to-action to move a real PPP fix through the Senate.
IRA PPE and Reopening Resource Guide Now Live
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. Contact Emilee Lyons for more information on listing your company.
Friday Webinar - City of Chicago Fair Workweek Ordinance

Join the IRA, Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA), and the BACP Office of Labor Standards (OLS) on Friday, May 29 at 10:00 a.m. for a webibar to review Chicago's Fair Workweek ordinance and compliance requirements for employers.

Restaurants with less than 250 employees and less than 30 global locations are exempt from this ordinance. Unless your restaurant has 30 or more locations globally, your restaurant is exempt from this ordinance. Franchisees with 3 or fewer locations owned by one employer are also exempted. Click here to read the Fair Workweek ordinance FAQs.

Click here  to register for the webinar.
Take Our Elected Official Relationship Survey

As we continue to advocate on behalf of the industry during COVID-19, the IRA and National Restaurant Association are working to identify existing and new relationships our members have with local, state, and federal elected officials. The results will allow us to get a comprehensive sense of which restaurant operators have relationships with lawmakers across the state.

Click here  to take the two minute survey.
Please  visit our website  for the latest COVID-19 updates, in addition to the above resources and information for your business. Updated as of 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26.