PPP Forgiveness Update, Metro East Reopens, Chicago Winter Design Contest and Grants

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 5:30 p.m. on Friday, October 9.

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Streamlined PPP Forgiveness Application for Loans Under $50,000

Restaurants who received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under $50,000 can now access a new forgiveness application designed to simplify the forgiveness and loan review process, as announced by the Small Business Administration (SBA) last night. This streamlined PPP forgiveness form does not require businesses to show the calculations used to determine their loan forgiveness amount. However, SBA may request information and documents to review those calculations as part of its loan review process.

Important to note – this is not “automatic PPP loan forgiveness,” as borrowers are still required to submit documentation to lenders on payroll costs, rent/lease payments, and utilities. Additionally, there is a restriction for any otherwise eligible applicants if they have affiliated businesses receiving PPP loans totaling $2 million or greater – the National Restaurant Association is following up with SBA to ensure the “Affiliation Rules” are waived for restaurants and hotels as outlined in earlier PPP guidance (p. 2).

Click here to download the new PPP loan forgiveness application

Click here to review the instructions for the new form.

Click here to review the SBA rules on the new forgiveness procedures for PPP loans under $50,000.

Metro East Area Restaurants and Bars Can Resume Indoor Service

Today, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that Region 4, the Metro East, will return to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan today, October 9, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.

While the rate of testing in Region 4 has remained relatively stable, the rolling average positivity rate in the region has fallen from a high of 10.5 percent on August 27 to a rate of 5.8 percent today. The roll back is a result of close coordination between IDPH, local health departments, and community leaders encouraging proven and targeted mitigation efforts.

Region 4 — which includes Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair and Washington counties — initially moved to stricter mitigations on August 18, following three consecutive days of a rolling positivity rate above 8%. On September 2, additional mitigations were implemented after the region increased its positivity rate to a 7-day rolling positivity rate of 9.6%.

As of today, Region 4 has reached the threshold to lift mitigations following three consecutive days of a rolling positivity rate below 6.5%. Therefore, indoor dining and bar service can resume along with larger gathering sizes as outlined in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan. IDPH will continue working closely with the region to prevent another spike in cases.

Click here to read more.

CDC Issues Update on How COVID-19 Spreads

Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated guidance to its How COVID-19 Spreads website, which includes information about the potential for airborne spread of the virus.

CDC Updated Guidance

The CDC continues to assert that people are more likely to become infected the longer and closer they are to a person with COVID-19. The update acknowledges the existence of some published reports showing limited, uncommon circumstances where people with COVID-19 infected others who were more than 6 feet away or shortly after the positive person left an area. In these instances, transmission occurred in poorly ventilated/enclosed spaces that often involved activities that caused heavier breathing like singing or exercise. After a technical review of the guidance, CDC’s recommendations remain the same based on existing science. People can protect themselves from the virus by staying at least 6 feet away from others, wearing a mask that covers their nose and mouth, washing their hands frequently, cleaning touched surfaces often, and staying home when sick.

Restaurant Impact

The National Restaurant Association has been resolute in its approach, specifically that COVID-19 spreads primarily person to person. The last paragraph in the CDC release (which the media has ignored) is clear on this issue and the information the association has received from CDC affirms that we continue to deliver solid guidance to our members.

Click here to read more from the CDC.

Next Week - Maximizing Restaurant Space in Fall and Winter Webinar

Join the IRA along with architects and designers from City Open Workshop for a webinar Thursday, October 15 at 10:00 a.m. featuring expert design ideas on how to safely and optimally use restaurant space for service. Additionally, a representative from the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) will provide info on current guidelines in Chicago.

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

**Este seminario web se transmitirá en inglés y español.**

**此网络研讨会有中文及英文两种放送版本**

Click here to register.

Free Business Advising Available Through Cook County

The IRA is a proud partner of the Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance program.

All businesses located within the City of Chicago and suburban Cook County are eligible for business advising programming to help address the unique needs arising from the pandemic.

Click here to learn more and gain assistance today.

Roll Your #SleeveUp to #FightFlu Campaign

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is encouraging everyone to get their flu shots this year as the state braces for a dual outbreak of flu and COVID-19 in the coming months. To help encourage everyone to take the steps they need to protect themselves from the flu and COVID-19, the state has created a #SleeveUp to #FightFlu campaign. The campaign encourages four steps:

• Mask Up: Cover your nose and mouth with a mask when out in public.

• Lather Up: Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

• Sleeve Up: Roll up your sleeve to get a flu shot.

• Back Up: Keep 6 feet of distance between you and others.

Click here to read more.

Chicago Winter Dining Design Challenge Winners, DoorDash Grants Available

Yesterday, Mayor Lightfoot announced the winners of the Winter Design Challenge – a first-of-its-kind competition for community members to reimagine the winter outdoor dining experience in Chicago.

After receiving over 600 submissions, a team of judges that included architects, designers, chefs, restauranteurs and servers selected three ideas that not only capture the spirit of Chicago but can provide feasible and safe options for Chicagoans to enjoy dining out as temperatures drop.

The winners of the Winter Design Challenge are:

• ASD | SKY, Cozy Cabins: Small modular, adjoining ‘cabins’ that fit within the footprint of a standard parking space.

• Neil Reindel, Block Party: A flexible approach to outdoor dining that is adaptable and easy to implement for many different sites and street configurations.

• Ellie Henderson, Heated Tables: Modify the Japanese Kotatsu, an economical way to keep warm and cozy in cold months.

In addition, DoorDash will be providing $500,000 in financial support to Chicago restaurants to help cover the costs of winterizing their outdoor dining areas.

Chicago restaurants will be able to apply to receive a $5,000 grant to defray winterization expenses such as the cost of heating equipment, additional safety materials to improve indoor dining, upgrades for air filtration systems, bulk orders of blankets for patrons, and more. Applications open on October 16, and recipients will be notified by the end of December. To qualify, restaurants must be located in Chicago with three or fewer locations operating currently, 50 employees or fewer in 2019, and $3M or less in 2019 annual revenue per store. Restaurants can find full details and the application on the Hello Alice website beginning October 16 here.

Click here to read the full announcement.