PPP Funding Close, Suburban Cook County Assistance

The Illinois Restaurant Association continues to engage with local, state, and federal officials to help our employers and employees address concerns about COVID-19.

Please see the below resources and information for your business - updated as of 8:20 p.m. on Sunday, April 19.

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Additional Funding for PPP Close as Negotiations Continue

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Democratic congressional leaders say they're hopeful a deal on funding for the popular Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses will be reached and a bill will pass in the coming days.

Mnuchin said he had multiple conversations on the weekend with Senate and House leadership. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in an interview on CNN he is “very hopeful we could come to an agreement tonight or early tomorrow morning.” 

The development comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Congress is “very close” to a deal in an interview on ABC’s “This Week” that aired Sunday morning. 

Click here to read more from The Hill.

Click here to send a message to Congress to urge them to pass more funding and make necessary improvements to the PPP program.

Click here to view a video message from IRA President & CEO Sam Toia with the latest updates.

Accessing and Troubleshooting Restaurant and 1099 Relief Programs

Join the IRA, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, and labor and employment attorney Heather Bailey from SmithAmundsen for a webinar Wednesday, April 22 at 10:00 a.m. to review how restaurants and independent contractors (1099s) can access federal relief programs. This webinar is the a part of the Cook County Community Recovery Initiative educational series to provide direct relief and technical support to businesses in suburban Cook County. 

Additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is expected to be approved this week. The presentation will prepare Cook County operators with guidance to access the next round of funding and ensure their loans are forgiven. 

Click here to register.

IRA Issues Relief Requests to Governor Pritzker for Restaurants

On Friday, the IRA issued a letter to Governor J.B. Pritzker outlining a list of urgent regulatory and legislative measures needed by the restaurant and hospitality industry of Illinois during the COVID-19 crisis.

The following requests are included:

• Taxes and Fees

• Delay sales tax remittance for all restaurants and bars

• Assist businesses with regulatory relief regarding unemployment claims by freezing unemployment insurance rates in Illinois

• Defer property, estimated income, corporate income, and franchise taxes

• Quickly refund overpayment of estimated taxes

• Direct Aid to Restaurants and Employees

• Create tax credits with expedited processing for retaining employees during the COVID-19 crisis

• Assist with business interruption insurance

• Commercial Payment Relief

• Prohibit landlords from evicting or foreclosing restaurants for non-payment of rent or mortgages during the COVID-19 crisis

• Regulatory Relief

• Suspend the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) retailer delinquency list for non-payment of liquor invoices.

• Remove any restrictions on state liquor license renewals for 90-120 days.

• Allow restaurants with valid liquor licenses to sell cocktails/mixed drinks for off-premise consumption and for delivery to customers

• Suspend the implementation of the state’s next minimum wage increase until July 1, 2021

• Quickly enact regulatory changes to enable restaurants to function as temporary grocery stores

• Delivery Regulations 

• Cap commission fees on restaurants from third party delivery services

These actions will not eliminate the impact of the crisis, but they will be important first steps on the road to recovery. The IRA will continue to work for all measures of relief for restaurants at the local, state, and federal levels.

Click here to read the letter.

Click here to share the letter on your Facebook page.