Enforcement Updates in City of Chicago: Businesses Face $10,000 Fines, Closures for Noncompliance
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As part of the Fourth of July weekend health and safety efforts, City of Chicago investigators enforced Phase IV guidelines by examining hundreds of businesses and conducting 49 full investigations in entertainment districts throughout the city and in response to complaints.
While the majority of businesses heeded the warnings issued last week, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) did issue ten citations to five businesses for failing to maintain social distancing over the weekend, each with a fine of up to $10,000.
During an online briefing last week, Mayor Lightfoot confirmed that 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.
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.
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. Food sales can continue until the time established on your retail food license
- 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.
Read the latest:
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Keep Sharing on Social - 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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Need Outdoor Dining Design Help? Sign Up for a Free Consultation
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In partnership with the Illinois Restaurant Association,
City Open Workshop
is offering pro bono architectural design assistance for outdoor dining at restaurants.
Click here
to visit the resource guide and reach out to qualified professionals today.
City Open Workshop continues to offer office hours on
Mondays at 10:00 a.m. and Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m.
through early August for restaurants looking to understand how to navigate Phase IV indoor and outdoor design and permitting changes for dining.
City Open Workshop has interior, exterior and landscape architects, as well as policy/permitting professionals that can help your business understand:
- Permitting guidelines
- Sizing and dining layout
- Emergency and ADA easements
- Parking
- Signage, tents, outdoor furniture and fencing
- Interior arrangements
If you are interested in learning more and partnering with professional architects, landscape designers, and zoning professionals,
click here
to submit an inquiry.
In addition, City Open Workshop is hosting a series of virtual design sessions for small businesses. For more information and to sign up,
click here
.
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What to Do When a COVID-19 Positive Case Has Been Reported in Your Facility
The IRA has developed a guide of protocols to follow when a confirmed COVID-19 case has been in your facility.
The guide includes: general best practices, cleaning and disinfecting policies, employee leave requirements, notification templates, and more.
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Thursday Webinar on Menu Profitability - Costing Tools & Tips to Maximize Your Menu
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Join the IRA and
Sysco
for a webinar
Thursday, July 9 at 10:00 a.m.
on menu profitability and useful analysis tools to create an effective menu.
Este seminario web se transmitirá en inglés y español.
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President Trump Signs PPP Program Extension Legislation
Over the weekend, President Trump signed into law a bill passed last week by the U.S. House and Senate that extends the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through August 8.
This bill does not change the PPP; it simply extends the window to apply for a PPP loan for another five weeks. The original program expired on June 30, with a balance of $130 billion dollars still available for loans.
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Share Your Restaurant Recovery Priorities
Restaurants across the country face immense challenges that are not going away anytime soon for owners, operators, and employees. For over sixteen weeks, the IRA, National Restaurant Association and other state partners have led the charge at the federal, state, and local level in calling for a
comprehensive response
from our government.
You have answered our calls to action and Congress has heard you – through almost 500,000 emails you’ve sent to Capitol Hill. Republicans and Democrats are considering whether to craft a
new coronavirus stimulus bill
in late July, and they have asked the IRA and National Restaurant Association for guidance on how best to assist the industry.
In April, we
wrote congressional leaders
to unveil our “Blueprint for Recovery.” But as the challenge to our industry evolves, so should our recovery plan. Working with our membership, we have a list of potential policy initiatives, but we need
your input
in identifying which ones to prioritize. We will unveil our updated Blueprint later this month.
We have prepared a survey that outlines our ideas, and allows you to rank the ones that would be most impactful for your restaurant or the industry as a whole. Together, we will continue to advance a policy agenda that reflects the unique needs of this vital industry.
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Deadline Tomorrow - State of Illinois Business Interruption Grant Application
The deadline to submit an application for the first round of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's (DCEO)
Business Interruption Grants
(BIG) is
tomorrow, Tuesday, July 7 at 5:00 p.m.
The BIG program will provide $60 million to businesses experiencing losses or business interruption as a result of COVID-19 related closures.
- The BIG Program is available for up to 3,500 businesses that experienced a limited ability to operate due to COVID-19 related closures.
- DCEO will begin distributing funds to qualifying businesses in early July.
- The total program funding will amount to at least $540 million in grants for small businesses, $270 of which has been set aside for childcare providers, and is funded by the CARES Act.
In the first wave of grants, priority will be given to small businesses that have been heavily restricted or completely shut down during the pandemic and are located in
disproportionately impacted areas (
DIAs).
- Businesses eligible for the program must have experienced extreme hardship, demonstrated by eligible costs or losses in excess of the grant amount, since March and may continue to face depressed revenues or closure.
- Businesses must also have been in operation for at least three months prior to March 2020.
- An emphasis will also be placed on those businesses that are located in areas that have experienced recent property damage due to civil unrest, exacerbating the economic impacts of COVID-19.
Specifically, the program includes support for:
- Businesses in DIAs - $20 million for businesses that are located in a subset of DIAs that have recently experienced significant property damage, providing 1,000 grants of $20,000 each
- Bars and Restaurants - $20 million for bars and restaurants unable to offer outside service, providing at least 1,000 grants of up to $20,000 each
- Restaurants and bars with under $3 million in annual sales will be eligible to apply
- Barbershops and Salons - $10 million for barbershops and salons, providing 1,000 grants of $10,000 each
- Gyms and Fitness Centers - $10 million for gyms and fitness centers that have lost significant revenue due to COVID-19, providing 500 grants of $20,000 each
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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 4:35 p.m. on Monday, July 6.
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