TUESDAY, JULY 7
Share the Illinois Restaurant Promise With Your Guests and Team Members
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.

Download the poster in  English  and  Spanish  for your establishments.
Covered Faces Keep Open Places - Spread the Word on Social
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"

Thank you to Kai Liang, owner of MCCB 时尚食谱 Restaurant in Chicago's Chinatown Square, for sharing the below video message in Mandarin .
Reopening and Enforcement in the City of Chicago

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.

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. Click here to review the presentation.

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.
Looking for Reopening Supplies and Services? Visit Our Online Guide
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.
Tomorrow Afternoon - MFHA Town Hall on How You Can Support Your Black Employees
Racism and COVID-19 have become top issues facing Americans today. Blacks and Latinos are dying from COVID-19 at higher rates than other groups in the country, and the killing of George Floyd has put discussion of race center stage. As businesses reopen, leaders will have to address the issue of structural racism and how staying silent on this issue puts their brand reputation at risk.

The  Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance  is hosting a town hall to discuss these issues tomorrow, Wednesday, July 8 at 1:00 p.m. (CST) .

Attendees will gain:
  • A framework for having a healthy, direct, and solutions-focused dialog about race, racism, and COVID-19.
  • Understanding from executives on how these developments have impacted their operation and community.
  • Issue-related best practices and policy changes to address the needs of their stakeholders.
  • Ideas on how the industry can make a meaningful contribution towards ending racially biased policing.

Town hall speakers include: Gerry Fernandez, MFHA; Chip Wade, Union Square Hospitality Group; Michele Hoskins, Michele Foods; and Anthony Jackson, White Castle Management Company.

Click here to register.
IRA Classes Now Open - Get Certified in ServSafe Sanitation Manager Training, Private On-Site Classes Available

As our industry continues to face extraordinary challenges, it is more important than ever to train staff in critical food safety protocols. Protect your business and reassure your customers that you are prepared to meet ongoing challenges by having certified Sanitation Managers on staff. 

The IRA is your trusted source for training and certification. We are complying with all new safety and social distancing guidelines, and limiting classes to groups of 18 - with seating six feet apart. All attendees will be required to wear a face mask, and bring a #2 pencil for the certification exam.

Our instructors are recognized as leaders in foodservice instruction, and are certified by the Chicago Department of Public Health and the National Restaurant Association.

We offer  classes every week , year-round, with bilingual instruction available in English and Spanish.  IRA members  receive discounted pricing.

Sign up  today for a class through August 2020, or call (312) 787-4000 to schedule a private class at your location. 
Thursday Webinar on Menu Profitability - Costing Tools & Tips to Maximize Your Menu
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.

This webinar will feature remarks from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and is provided in partnership with the Cook County Community Recovery Initiative .

Este seminario web se transmitirá en inglés y español.

Click here to register.
Please  visit our website  for the latest COVID-19 updates, in addition to the above resources and information for your business. Updated as of 6:10 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7.