THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026 | | Coalition Urges BACP to Issue Video Gaming Licenses | | |
Yesterday at City Hall, the Illinois Restaurant Association joined Chicago small business owners, community leaders, and elected officials with a clear message: it’s time to start issuing video gaming terminal (VGT) licenses to approved local businesses.
Last year, the Chicago City Council authorized VGTs as an opportunity to generate additional revenue for both the City and neighborhood hospitality businesses. Since then, the Illinois Gaming Board has reviewed and approved 65 applicants across 33 wards, but not a single business has been able to begin operating due to delays in receiving the necessary City licenses.
The IRA will continue advocating for the independent restaurants, bars, and small businesses that make our neighborhoods stronger. We urge the City of Chicago and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection to end the delay and begin issuing VGT licenses now.
Click here to read the press release from the Chicago VGTs Now coalition.
| | Get Your Tickets for the Ultimate Gourmet Tailgate | | | | |
Kick off the Chicago gourmet with Gourmet Tailgate as the Bears take on the Carolina Panthers! Catch every play while digging into elevated game day bites and sipping cold drinks and craft cocktails. Between bites, take in sweeping skyline views from the Utopian Tailgate rooftop, challenge your crew to classic tailgate games, and soak up all the energy of opening day. Come hungry, bring your Bears spirit, and get ready to eat, drink, and Bear Down. A little Super Bowl Shuffle may even be in order.
Date: Sunday, September 13 from 11:30am to 3pm
Location: Utopian Tailgate (1608 N. Wells St.)
Hosted by: Chef Jonathon Sawyer
Chefs: Marcos Ascensio, Alexander Carnovale, Chris Cunningham, Fernando Mendoza, Oliver Poilevey
We can't wait to raise a glass with everyone who made last year so much fun. Grab your tickets for Gourmet Tailgate!
| | Explore the Dine Around Series! | | | | |
From now until September 18, discover unforgettable dining experiences at 80+ participating locations across Chicagoland, featuring the city’s best chefs, restaurants, and flavors.
Want to sweeten the deal? Guests who spend $50 or more at participating restaurants during the series can enter an epic raffle for the ultimate VIP experience. One lucky winner will score a two-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, four tickets to Hamburger Hop, four tickets to the Grand Cru Session 2, four chef demo tickets, and an exclusive gourmet swag bag.
Explore the full list of participating restaurants at chicagogourmet.org.
| | Naperville Removes Ban on Happy Hour Drinks | |
Evening Reception in Support of Pat Hynes | | Know Your Numbers: Your Restaurant’s Financial Health Check | | | | |
Join the Illinois Restaurant Association, EHS Business Solutions, and the Cook County Small Business Source for a virtual session designed to help restaurant owners better understand the numbers behind their business.
Learn which financials to review regularly, what warning signs to watch for, how to build a strong back-office system, and how to keep your records accurate and up to date. Real-life scenarios will bring the concepts to life, and attendees will receive a Financial Health Scorecard to help evaluate their own business.
Date: Tuesday, September 15
Time: 10:00am
Click here to register for the "Know Your Numbers" virtual advising session.
| | Get Your Tickets for Chicago Stars Neighborhood Night | | Chefs: Enter the World Burger Contest! | | | | |
The World Burger Contest is catapulting burgers to the very top of the international gastronomy scene. For its 5th edition, the Contest will feature a whole day of competition, over 12 candidates from all over the world, and an exceptional setting right in the heart of SIRHA-Lyon, France.
Enter the World Burger Contest now! The deadline for applications is September 30.
| | Support Students: Donate to the Chicago Gourmet IRAEF Silent Auction | |
The Chicago Gourmet IRAEF online auction is one of the ways we raise critical funds to support 6,000 high school students in 55 Illinois schools. Auction proceeds help provide scholarships, uniforms, classroom supplies, teacher grants, and hands-on opportunities like our statewide Culinary and Management Competition. The auction will go live on Friday, September 18.
We’re still seeking great auction items and experiences, including dining packages, hotel stays, travel, wine and spirits, event tickets, and other unique offerings. Have something to donate? Please click here to submit a silent auction item. Donations are requested by September 18.
Questions? Email Jessica Blomquist or call 312-380-4147.
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The IRA would like to thank all existing members and welcome the following new members:
For more information about the benefits of becoming an IRA member, contact Lisa Gilbert.
| | THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS | | | | |
