Expanded Sidewalk Cafés, Liquor FAQs, Retail Reopening Webinar

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 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 11.

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Expanded Sidewalk Cafe Permit, Outdoor Dining Liquor Licenses Ordinance Passes Transportation Committee

This afternoon, the Committee on Transportation and Public Way passed an ordinance introduced by Mayor Lightfoot to remove regulatory burdens and provide financial relief to Chicago restaurants seeking to operate outdoors. Click here to read the full announcement.

IRA President & CEO Sam Toia testified in favor of the ordinance in committee.

The ordinance makes the following changes:

• Permit Fees for 2020 Sidewalk Cafes Will Be Reduced by 75%.

• BACP will issue refunds for any permits already issued in 2020.

• Permit fees are determined based on the size of the sidewalk café and take into account land values.

• Extended Sidewalk Café Footprints

• Sidewalk cafés can extend into the public way in front of a neighboring property.

• The extended sidewalk café must continue uninterrupted and cannot block the door or window of an occupied neighboring property. However, the extended sidewalk café can block the windows of a vacant property.

• Extended sidewalk cafés cannot extend into the public way in front of a neighboring Retail Food Establishment or Retail Liquor Establishment.

• Extended sidewalk cafés are limited to a single neighboring property.

• If an extended sidewalk café is on the property side of the sidewalk, the applicant must notify the owner and occupant of the neighboring property in writing and include that notice in their applicant. No such notice is required if the sidewalk café is on the curb side of the sidewalk.

• Insurance coverage must be submitted to include the entire footprint of the extended sidewalk café.

• Expedited Permit Issuance

• Sidewalk café permits can be issued without needing to be introduced as an ordinance to City Council.

• Applicants would still need to submit their application initially to the local alderman for review.

• After submission to BACP of a complete application, permits can then be issued upon payment.

• This will reduce the time to issue permits by up to 30 days. 

• Extended Terms for Liquor Licenses Issued under the Expanded Outdoor Dining Permit Program

• Under the Expanded Outdoor Dining Permit, which is processed by DCASE and issued under the CDOT authority, establishments with valid Retail Food Establishment Licenses can apply to temporarily expand operations into the street or other private property (i.e. parking lots).

• This activity is different than that allowed under the Sidewalk Café Permit, which allows operation on the sidewalk directly in front of or adjacent to the establishment, and has been created specifically to support restaurants during Phase III.

• Establishments that seek to serve liquor under the Expanded Outdoor Dining Permit must obtain a Special Event Liquor License from BACP. The proposed ordinance would extend the term of the Special Event Liquor License for any license issued under the Expanded Outdoor Dining Permit Program to 180 days.

Click here to read the ordinance. The ordinance now advances to the City Council, and is expected to pass Wednesday, June 17.

Read more:

• WTTW - Aldermen Endorse Plan to Fast-Track Outdoor Dining

• Crain's Chicago Business - City proposes speeding up, reducing costs for sidewalk permits

Updated FAQs from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission

The Illinois Liquor Control Commission has recently issued updated FAQs and guides on the below topics.

• ILCC Frequency Asked Questions

• Cocktails to Go and Delivery

• Suspension of the Retailer Delinquency List

• Liquor License Renewal Extensions

• Temporary Delivery of Alcoholic Liquor

• Maintaining Dram Shop Insurance

Retail, Places of Worship, Daycare Reopening Webinar

Join the IRA, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, American Business Immigration Coalition, National Partnership for New Americans, and Cook County Community Recovery Initiative for a webinar tomorrow, Friday, June 12 at 10:00 a.m. on best practices for retail, daycare centers, and places of worship during Phase III of Governor Pritzker's reopening plan.

The panel will include ideas for maintaining social distancing, PPE procedures for employees, capacity guidelines, and how to instill consumer confidence.

Click here to register.

Reminder - Upcoming Minimum Wage and Tipped Wage Increases

On July 1, 2020, minimum wage and tipped wage increases go into effect for the state of Illinois, Cook County, and city of Chicago.

Please review the below rate increases and take action accordingly for your business.

State of Illinois

• Current minimum wage - $9.25

• Current tipped wage - $5.55

• Minimum wage starting July 1, 2020 - $10.00

• Tipped wage starting July 1, 2020 - $6.00

Click here for more information on the state of Illinois' minimum wage law.

Cook County*

• Current minimum wage - $12.00

• Current tipped wage - $5.25

• Minimum wage starting July 1, 2020 - $13.00

• Tipped wage starting July 1, 2020 - $5.30

Click here for more information on Cook County's minimum wage law.

*More than 100 municipalities within Cook County have opted out of Cook County's minimum wage ordinance. Please check with your local authorities to confirm whether or not this law applies to your business. If your municipality has opted out of Cook County's minimum wage ordinance, you must follow the state of Illinois' minimum wage law. Employers with tipped employees should take special note that they should pay the higher Illinois tipped wage of $6.00 per hour than the lower Cook County tipped wage of $5.30.

City of Chicago**

• Current minimum wage - $13.00

• Current tipped wage - $6.40

• Minimum wage starting July 1, 2020 - $14.00

• Tipped wage starting July 1, 2020 - $8.40

Click here for more information on the city of Chicago's minimum wage law.

**Effective July 1, 2020, small employers (4-20 employees) in the city of Chicago are required to pay employees a minimum wage of $13.50 and a tipped wage of $8.10.

Webinar on Demand - Disinfecting/Sanitizing, Consumer Confidence

Thank you to all our attendees and panelists from Ecolab for joining this morning's webinar on proper disinfecting/sanitation and instilling consumer confidence.

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

Click here to watch a recording of the webinar. Click here to download the presentation.

City of Chicago Building Repair Guide

The Department of Buildings is committed to enhancing the safety and quality of life for residents and businesses of the City of Chicago through permitting, inspections, trade licensing, and enforcement of the Chicago Construction Codes. For businesses responding to damage from an unexpected event, the Department has issued guidance on best practices and regulations for repairs.

Click here to read the guide.