MAY 13, 2020
Analysis of House Democrat HEROES Act, Implications for Restaurants

Yesterday, House Democrats unveiled their “Phase Four” response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dubbed the “HEROES Act,” the measure has provisions that are very important to our industry (including our approach to improving the PPP program), and provisions that will be more challenging for restaurants (extension of enhanced unemployment, extension of emergency paid-sick leave/FMLA). 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi will bring the bill to the House floor this Friday for a vote. It is assumed it will pass along largely party lines. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has endorsed the PPP changes and will seek to integrate them into anything moving in the Senate. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is likely to pursue a different approach to his “Phase Four” bill, focusing largely on liability safe harbors for businesses that are reopening. 

It’s too early for to predict how/when this bill will wind its way through Congress, but it will definitely be a slower track than the previous COVID response bills. 

The IRA and National Restaurant Association are still pressing Treasury to make unilateral changes to the PPP, and we fully expect an announcement to be made imminently - as noted in a recent Wall Street Journal piece about Mnuchin and restaurants.

Click here to read a breakdown of the HEROES Act and the implications for restaurants.
Cook County to Waive Late Fees on Property Tax Payments, Extend Due Date

Cook County will waive late fees on property tax payments due in August and extend the deadline to pay the second installment of taxes to October 1.

The full county board will vote on an ordinance authorizing the plan May 21. Under the ordinance, interest penalties for late payments of the second installment of property taxes, which are normally due Aug. 3, will now be postponed until Oct. 1. Any payments made on or before Oct. 1 will be considered filed and paid on time by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.

"These are incredibly difficult times for our residents and this measure creates much-needed breathing room for Cook County property owners," Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in an announcement of the plan.

Click here to read more from The Daily Herald.
ServSafe Debuts New Free Reopening Guidance Training Video

ServSafe , the nation’s leader in food safety training, today released ServSafe Reopening Guidance: COVID-19 Precautions, the third video to help restaurant and foodservice employees learn best practices to employ during the coronavirus outbreak. The course provides best practices for employees of a restaurant preparing to reopen a dining room following a state shutdown. The video is free of charge and available in English and Spanish.

The ServSafe Reopening Guidance: COVID-19 Precautions training video features:

  • Knowing the symptoms of COVID-19
  • Preventing the spread
  • Recognizing actions to reduce employee and guest risk
  • Keeping guests and employees safe
  • Guidelines for face coverings, hand washing, hand sanitizer use, and food handling
  • Guidelines for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting
  • Changes to maintain social distancing

Register to view the video on-demand here.
Move Restaurants into Phase 3 of Restore Illinois

Under the current Restore Illinois plan, restaurants and bars throughout the state will be unable to resume dine in operations until their region reaches Phase 4, or June 26 at the very earliest. This approach underestimates the restaurant industry’s ability to reopen and operate safely with enhanced public health measures in place.

The IRA is calling on the Governor and leaders in the General Assembly to urge them to allow restaurants to resume dine in operations with limited capacity during Phase 3.

We appreciate the support and engagement of fellow business groups such as Wine and Spirits Distributors of Illinois and the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce that are calling on state leaders to move restaurants into Phase 3.

Make your voice heard in our ongoing efforts to save Illinois restaurants.
City of Chicago Issues Rules Requiring Transparency from Third Party Delivery Services

Yesterday, Mayor Lightfoot and Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Commissioner Rosa Escareno announced new rules for third-party food delivery companies to increase transparency and fair competition. We appreciate Mayor Lightfoot and BACP for working with the IRA to develop these rules. Click here to read the full announcement.

Effective Friday, May 22, all third-party delivery companies will be 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. Click here to read the rules.

The IRA fully supports these rules as an important step to bring much-needed transparency and fairness to the food delivery space.

Read more below:

Website Resources for Spanish-Speaking Communities
IRA First Vice Chairman Sam Sanchez of  Old Crow Smokehouse  and  Moe's Cantina  has developed a website with COVID-19 resources for Spanish-speaking communities.

The website includes resources for financial, legal, medical, and food assistance, and links to organizations that serve vulnerable communities.

We thank Sam for his steadfast commitment to helping immigrant populations across Illinois.

Click here  to visit the website. Please share the website with your team members and colleagues.
Please  visit our website  for the latest COVID-19 updates, in addition to the above resources and information for your business. Updated as of 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13.