Negotiations Continue on COVID-19 Relief Package for Small Businesses and Employees As of 8:15 p.m. tonight, no action has been taken on a Congressional relief package due to ongoing negotiations with the House and Senate. The IRA and other stakeholders continue to push lawmakers to include $350B for small business relief and the $500B for unemployment insurance that were included in the Rubio/Cardin bill this past weekend. We are also working to ensure that the definition of “business”, as 500 individuals or less, per entity, is kept intact. Send another message to Illinois' Congressional leaders to help guarantee that small businesses and their employees receive the most possible relief from the Phase 3 relief package. Click here to read more on the status of the relief package from CNN.

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Essential Employee Template Letter - Share With Your Teams As the state of Illinois has designated restaurants as Essential Businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, foodservice workers may need documentation to identify themselves as essential employees to authorities when traveling to or from work. Click here to download a template essential employee letter that can be used for your restaurant.

IDPH Foodservice FAQs The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has issued interim guidance to provide information on COVID-19 prevention in various food service operations and address the Governor’s Office mandate. The guidance addresses questions about monitoring employees, buffet operations, food courts, and more. Click here to read through the FAQs.

Off-Premise Best Practices Click here for tips on how to optimize menu changes, packaging, communication methods, workstation setups, payment options, and more for off-premise business.

Visit our website for the latest coronavirus updates, in addition to the above resources and information for your business - updated as of 8:25 p.m. Monday, March 23.

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