What Happens Now - Dining Regulations

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 11:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 29.

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Updated Chicago Restaurant Regulations

The following regulations go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, October 30 in the city of Chicago:

• No indoor dining or service at bars or restaurants

• Non-essential businesses must be closed to the public between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

• Bars, restaurants and other establishments with a Tavern or Consumption on Premises-Incidental Activity license can sell alcohol on-site or to-go until 11:00 p.m.

• Restaurants may continue to sell food via delivery, takeout, or curbside pickup at all hours

• Restaurants are not permitted to host indoor meetings, events, or social gatherings.

• Outdoor food service and bar reminders include:

• Maximum party size and table occupancy at restaurants, bars, taverns, breweries and event venues remains at six people

• When dining out at a food service establishment or bar, customers must wear face coverings while seated at all times (including when interacting with staff), except when actively eating or drinking

• Dining/alcohol consumption areas considered outdoors include rooftops, rooms with retractable roofs and indoor spaces where 50% or more of a wall can be removed via the opening of windows, doors, or panels provided that dining tables are within 8-ft from such openings 

Click here to read the updated guidelines.

West-Central Illinois Moves into Mitigation - Tell the Governor to Keep Restaurants Open

This morning, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced COVID-19 resurgence mitigations will be implemented in Region 3, West-Central Illinois, beginning at 12:01 am on Sunday, November 1. Starting this Sunday, indoor service at West-Central Illinois restaurants is being suspended. Click here to read the full announcement.

The IRA is working nonstop to keep restaurants in every region of Illinois open for indoor service. We continue to explore various legal actions as well.

As of today, including Region 3, a total of nine of the state's 11 regions have triggered one of the state's metrics for mitigation.

Take 10 seconds to send a note to Governor Pritzker to urge the state change the Restore Illinois mitigation plan to allow for continued indoor service at restaurants.

When you use the IRA's Phone2Action campaign, you can customize the letter you send to the Governor. Whether you are a restaurant operator, industry supplier, employee, or a concerned citizen, you can help our efforts!

Join Our Hashtag Campaign: #FightForIllinoisRestaurants

The IRA has launched a hashtag campaign on social media. Please join us by posting the below graphic on your social media channels, with this suggested caption:

"Gov. Pritzker’s mitigation plan is a death sentence for restaurants. 5,600+ have signed a letter demanding he give our industry a chance to survive. Add your name at the link. We stand united in the fight of our lives. #FightForIllinoisRestaurants LINK: http://bit.ly/FightForIllinoisRestaurants"

Please tag the IRA and we will share:

On Instagram and Facebook: @illinoisrestaurants

On Twitter: @illinirestassoc

State of Illinois Mitigation FAQ

The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has updated the Restore Illinois FAQ, including the section on mitigations.

Please note the following related to private events:

Can bars and restaurants in mitigation areas serve food and beverages indoors in conjunction with a meeting or special event?

• No. Bars and restaurants in mitigation areas are not permitted to have any indoor dining and service, and therefore may not host meetings, events or gatherings within their establishment. Outdoor meetings or special events that otherwise comply with the bar and restaurant guidance are permitted.

Please note the following related to the definition of outdoor dining or drinking area.

• For the purposes of these guidelines, a dining or drinking area is considered an outdoor dining or drinking area if the area meets any of the following criteria:

• Located on the rooftop of a building or within establishment with retractable roof (should remain open during hours of operation of outdoor dining and/or drinking);

• Outdoor space connected to or located on the site of a restaurant, grocery store, health or fitness center, hotel, golf club, or other social club with a food establishment license;

• Indoor space where 50% or more of a wall can be removed via the opening of windows, doors, or panels provided that dining tables are within 8-ft from such opening;

• Any other outdoor dining and drinking areas authorized by local governments provided that food and drinks are prepared by licensed food or liquor establishments and that proper social distancing of 6-ft between designated customer tables and/or other seating areas is observed and parties are of 6 persons or fewer.

Click here to read the updated FAQ.