MAY 15, 2020
Almost 20,000 Messages Sent to State Leaders: Move Restaurants into Phase 3
Thanks to your continued engagement this week, we have sent nearly 20,000 messages to Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly urging them to modify the Restore Illinois plan to allow restaurants and bars to resume their dine in service in a limited capacity during Phase 3.

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 will continue to advocate on this crucial issue as the General Assembly enters session next week.

Make your voice heard in our ongoing efforts to save Illinois restaurants.

Click here  to watch a video message from IRA President & CEO Sam Toia, and share it with your network.
Let Us Know About Your PPE Resources
The IRA is building a premier resource base of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for restaurants, including: hand sanitizer, face coverings, gloves, and cleaning and sanitizing supplies, plexiglass, floor markers, signs, and more.

Click here to let us know if you would like to join the IRA’s PPE resource page and offer PPE materials and equipment to restaurants and bars throughout Illinois. Contact Emilee Lyons for more information.
New Survey - Tell Us How COVID-19 Has Impacted Your Business

Please take five minutes to complete the latest survey developed by the National Restaurant Association to help us collect important data for our ongoing advocacy activities regarding COVID-19.

Click here to take the survey.
IRA Advocating for Innovative Outdoor Dining Options

The IRA continues to lobby local and state leaders to allow for expanded outdoor dining options as soon as practicable for restaurants.

Click here to read more from Chicago Sun-Times.
City of Chicago Delivery Transparency Rules In Effect, Commission Fee Hearing on Monday

This week, 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. The IRA worked on these rules with Mayor Lightfoot and BACP as an important step to bring much-needed transparency and fairness to the food delivery space. Click here to read the full announcement.

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

Additionally, the Joint Committee on Finance and License and Consumer Protection is hosting a virtual subject matter hearing Monday, May 18 at 2:00 p.m. on the subject of third party delivery service commission fees charged to restaurants. No vote on legislation will take place at the hearing. The hearing can be watched online here on Monday.

The IRA will be testifying at this hearing, and we encourage any interested restaurants to subject written comments. Written comments can be submitted to Carl Erickson . Click here for more information.
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 Friday, May 15.