Today, the Chicago City Council Joint Committee on Finance and Licensing passed a 15% cap on all third party delivery fees. The ordinance will go before the full City Council for a vote next Monday, November 23 and will take immediate effect if two-thirds of the Alderman support the measure.

The IRA would like to thank 32nd Ward Alderman Scott Waguespack, 19th Ward Alderman Matt O'Shea, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot for their support of the initiative. We would also like to thank Beverly Kim, Parachute and Wherewithall, and Auriel Banister, Bani's Beet Box, who joined Sam Toia in testifying on behalf of the ordinance at today’s hearing. We would also like to thank IRA Chairman Greg Schulson, Lunan Corporation/Burrito Beach, 1st Vice Chairman Sam Sanchez, Third Coast Hospitality Group, 2nd Vice Chair Kevin Vaughan, Vaughan Hospitality and IRA Executive Committee member Scott Weiner, Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, for their ongoing work on this critical issue.

The ordinance includes the following caps on fees:  

The ordinance will be repealed when indoor dining is allowed at 40% or greater capacity in the City for 60 consecutive days.

The full ordinance can be seen HERE.

For more information:

This afternoon, Governor Pritzker announced that all regions in the state will enter Tier 3 mitigations, effective this Friday, November 20, 2020. With this latest round of mitigations, the Governor aims to limit gatherings and encourages residents to stay home as much as possible. 

While the full list of Tier 3 mitigations can be seen HERE, it is important to note that meeting rooms, banquet centers, private party rooms, private clubs and country clubs will no longer be able to host gatherings of any size.

Read the latest:

The IRA is partnering with the National Restaurant Association to gather critical data that will be very valuable to our ongoing advocacy and communications efforts during this crisis.

Please take a few minutes to help us quantify and further illustrate the economic impact that the coronavirus is having on your restaurant.

CLICK HERE to complete the survey. Please note this survey will stay open until COB Monday, Nov. 30.   

In a letter sent to the chairs of the National Governors Association and the US Conference of Mayors, National Restaurant Association president and CEO Tom Bené shares science-based food safety practices restaurants have always followed regularly and which are now enhanced with additional protocols to mitigate COVID-19 transmission.

Bené states "data tying systemic community outbreaks of COVID-19 to restaurants has yet to emerge, but we are too commonly labelled as “super-spreaders,” and have become a convenient scapegoat for reflexive shutdowns.”

Read the full letter HERE.

Today, the ILCC passed new guidance for Thirty (30) Day Credit Law Reporting for Retailer Delinquencies and Retailer to Distributor Alcoholic Liquor Returns.

Under the new action, until Phase 5 of the Governors Restore Illinois Plan, licensed distributors and licensed retailers may enter into payment plans to pay an existing debt on a sale or sales of wine and spirits occurring between October 1, 2020 and November 15, 2020.

Additionally, with conditions, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission is authorizing returns of beer, wine, and spirits (“Alcoholic Liquor Returns”).

Read the full Delinquency Guidance here and the Alcoholic Liquor Returns Guidance here.

Join the IRA and panelists from Airbnb, Prairie Grass Cafe, and Vermilion/Let's Talk on Thursday, November 19 at 10:00 a.m. for a webinar providing restaurant operators ideas for generating new revenue by offering new options or serving different audiences. Attendees will learn ideas for incorporating new ways to generate revenue at their businesses.

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

Click here to register.

Click here to learn more. 

Please visit our website for the latest COVID-19 updates, in addition to the above resources and information for your business. Updated as of 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17.